Trick Or Treat
by Kandell
Summary: An attempt at a different kind of Darcy/Loki relationship. Read and review if you'd like me to continue it. Rated M to be safe. From the author formerly known as zutarataang4eva.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So I love the Darcy/Loki pairing and currently have a fic underway, but I got to thinking…Darcy's always so strong and sassy, what if I did a fic where she was also kind of…weak? This fic puts Loki as a bit of a jackass, so consider yourselves warned. Also, not sure if T or M, so M for good measure. Enjoy!

It was nights like this that made Darcy thankful that she and her parents lived in an apartment building full of old people. While her parents went out to their parties, she didn't have to put up with trick or treaters, or deal with middle and high school children TP'ing their lawn. Instead, she could spend Halloween the way god intended- knee deep in the popcorn that jumped from her bowl when something startling appeared on her TV. This was the seventh consecutive year she had participated in her tradition, and she had no plans of stopping.

But divine interference had other plans.

There was a knock on the door, causing more popcorn to jump from the bowl. _Strange_, Darcy thought. _I didn't buzz anyone up._

"Must have the wrong apartment," she mumbled, pausing 'Shark Attack 12' and walking to the door. She opened it and craned her neck back to look into a stranger's eyes.

"Trick or treat," he smiled, a mischievous glint in his green eyes.

"Sorry buddy, I don't have candy."

"Good. I had something sweeter in mind." He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her further inside the apartment, closing the door. Darcy turned and reached for a kitchen knife, a few feet away from her, but it slid further away. The man grabbed a handful of her curls, pulling her back against him.

"What do you think, Darcy," he whispered in her ear, "I'll play the trick, and you'll be the treat." She didn't even have time to tear up before the man spun her, lifted her small frame, and set her down roughly on the small kitchen table. Darcy kicked him in the stomach and crawled backwards, falling off of the table. She scrambled to her feet and ran down the small hallway to the right, running into her bedroom and slamming the door. She could hear the man's laugh grow louder as he approached.

"Hiding will do you no good, Darcy."

"Who the hell are you?" she shrieked through the door.

"All in good time." Then the apartment went silent. Darcy could hear nothing over her own heartbeat.

_Is he going to get something to break down the door?_ she wondered. She'd seen enough horror movies to know he'd either be back with something dangerous or he was waiting for her to open the door, checking if he'd left. _What do I do?_ she racked her brain, glancing around. Her eyes fell on the nightstand a few feet away from her. She leaned to the side, trying to keep her weight mostly in front of the door, and tugged at the small chest of drawers. After a few tugs it slid to her, a lamp falling and breaking on the floor. The door shook violently as the intruder attempted to break it down for seven seconds, falling silent once more.

Darcy's eyes were blurry with tears, but she scooted the nightstand into her place, running to the window. She pulled the curtains aside and screamed, seeing the man standing on the sidewalk below. Were there two of them? He smirked as Darcy pulled the curtains closed. She turned in circles, trying to remember what the movie survivors did.

The bed.

She opened the closet door and pulled a sweater sleeve out, closing the door again. In the bathroom, she pulled the shower curtain closed and rumpled the rug. Once she was finished, she slid under the bed and waited, trying to calm her breathing.

A few painfully silent minutes passed before her bedroom door turned to large splinters. How the hell had he managed that? Sure the man was tall, but his body didn't look that powerful.

"Darcy," he called softly, a smile audible in his voice. _Oh god_, she thought, _that sick bastard's enjoying this_.

He walked into the bathroom, turning on the light. Darcy could hear a ripping and a small crash, which she assumed was her shower curtain. His heavy footsteps then walked to the closet, opening the door. It rained clothes for the following minute as he searched for her. He stepped out of the closet.

"I know where you are." Tears streamed from Darcy's eyes. This wasn't a horror movie. She wasn't going to get away.

The man knelt and reached under the bed, grabbing Darcy's arm and yanking her out. He easily lifted her to her feet and pinned her against the dresser. She struggled against him, but he easily held her in place.

"I knew I picked you for a reason," he purred at her, his eyes practically glowing. "I knew you'd make it interesting."

"Please don't do this. Please," she choked on her tears, "I haven't don't anything to you."

"Oh but you will." His expression grew dark.

"I won't, I promise. I swear-"

"You'll promise you'll swear what?" he hissed.

"I won't do anything. If you leave me alone, I swear I won't hurt you or whatever it is you think I'm gonna do."

"Swear it on your life," his voice was a growl- predatory and rigid.

"I swear it," she cried, her voice a high-pitched whisper.

And he was gone.

Darcy glance around with shaking breaths, expecting him to be hiding somewhere in her room. He was probably deranged enough to give her a false sense of security and then rip it right out of her. But several minutes passed and he never appeared. Darcy finally mustered up the courage to move.

That had been two years before Thor fell to Earth…

~*3 Years Later*~

It had been a year since Thor had arrived, shaken up their lives, and disappeared. Jane was an obsessive wreck, Eric was always away on S.H.I.E.L.D. business, and Darcy was, well, Darcy.

On this particular day, Darcy was being Darcy in Jane's new and improved laboratory. S.H.I.E.L.D.- true enough to their promise- had not only returned all of Jane's equipment and research, but had given them some substantial financing to expand. Darcy often found herself in the observation room- a small room full of TV monitors through which she could watch the entire lab. There were also a few unused monitors which she occasionally used to watch movies.

It was Halloween, and Darcy was tucked away in the observation room watching 'Shark Attack 14'. She was getting back on track with her tradition after skipping a few years.

On screen, a group of coeds was being savagely ripped apart by a swarm of genetically altered nurse sharks when the power went out.

"God dammit," Darcy mumbled.

"Hello Darcy." She froze. It had been three years since she had heard his voice, but she remembered it perfectly.

"No hello?"

Darcy turned slowly, shaking, and stared up into his green eyes. His hair was longer, but everything else was the same.

"You don't look happy to see me," he mused.

"What do you want?" she squeaked.

He took a step toward her, "I need your help."

"Why would I help you?"

In a heartbeat, the man leaned down, cornering Darcy, "Because I'm not giving you a choice, Darcy." She shivered when he said her name.

"Don't say that."

"Don't say what?"

"My name. I don't want you to say it."

"Why not?" he smirked.

"Because…it sounds evil." He laughed and Darcy cringed.

"Why do you need my help?"

The man straightened, "I'm afraid I've brought too much attention to myself recently. I need to, how do you people say, lay low?"

"I don't think so," Darcy leaned back, "I'm not gonna be your accessory for…whatever it is you do."

"Oh you will," the man's eyes flashed like a cat's. "You swore on your life."

"I swore not to hurt you, I didn't say anything about helping you."

"But you'll find that unbreakable vows can be manipulated. If you don't help me it will be the same as hurting me, and you will die."

"Unbreakable vow? This isn't 'Harry Potter', dude," Darcy's eyes narrowed and her volume increased.

"When you swear to a god, you stake your life on your word."

"God? Don't make me laugh." After their last encounter Darcy had struggled to rebuild her self-confidence, but she had taken several self-defense classes and carried multiple cartridges for her tazer. And when in doubt, she always fell back on her sass.

The man's expression grew darker, "Do not test me, Darcy Lewis." The air began to move, swirling around them.

"What are you doing?" Darcy's voice shook.

"You will assist me, or you will die." A blade-like shard of ice, crackling with electricity, formed in the man's hand. "What'll it be?"

Darcy opened the door to her cozy villa, leading the green-eyed man inside. _I can't believe he's invading my house AGAIN_, she thought. She felt numb. She stopped in the middle of the living room and watched him stride around, examining random things like her collection of ballerina figurines on the mantle.

"This will suffice," he muttered. "Where are my sleeping quarters?" he glanced at her expectantly.

"You're looking at them. You can have the couch," she spat.

"I think not," he bristled. "I know that all of these villas have at least two bedrooms. Show me to mine."

Darcy glared at him, "If you already know it's here why don't you just find it yourself?"

"Because I want you to show me," he smirked.

"I'm already going out of my way to help you," Darcy crossed her arms, "Don't expect special treatment. We're not friends. Hell, I don't even know your name."

"You may call me Loki."

"Oh, _may I_? Thank you so much," she glared at him before walking to the kitchen to get a drink. Loki followed her. He watched silently as she poured a glass of iced tea and began to take a sip.

He then proceeded to tip the glass, pouring the tea all over Darcy's face and down her front.

She spluttered and stared at him, mouth open and eyes blazing.

"What the hell was that?" she screamed and threw the glass at him. He dodged it easily, letting it shatter on the wall behind him.

"That was just a bit of fun," he replied coolly.

"What is wrong with you? Do you get off on shit like this?" she demanded.

"And by that you mean-"

"Invading people's homes, ruining their lives, shaking out any sense of security they managed to rebuild."

"Ah, then yes, I do."

"You make me sick."

"Some day, Darcy-"

"I told you not to say my name-"

"-You'll learn that we can't all be heroes. The world needs its villains- like me- and its victims- like you."

"I am not a victim."

"They may say so in your self-defense classes, but you and I both know that you're just a scared, weak little girl."

"I'm going to kill you," Darcy shook her head, trying to not believe his words. They were far too similar to the voice in her head that had been whispering how helpless she was for the past two years.

"Causing me intentional harm will kill you instantly."

Darcy glared daggers. She wasn't sure if he was right. He had put on quite a show that evening, and she knew that gods did exist, but she didn't want to believe that this monster could actually wield that kind of power over her.

"It just might be worth it," she turned and left the kitchen, walking to her room to change out of her wet clothes. Her mind swam as she peeled off her sweater and tank top, standing in just her jeans and bra. She buried her face in her hands, trying to clear her mind of this Loki person and everything he had done.

"Three years, and I can't get over it." She looked at the mirror above her dresser, staring at her reflection. "You make me sick." Darcy changed into a pair of modest pajamas; baggy sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, and climbed into bed. She wasn't sure if she would be able to sleep that night, knowing what was in the other room. She curled up into the covers, clutching her blanket tight around her.

The digital clock on her nightstand flicked through numbers as she lay there, heart beating in the ears that strained to hear the monster in her house. Would he attack her again? Or maybe just kill her in her sleep? _Maybe that would be best_, she thought, _I wouldn't have to worry about him anymore_…

She didn't know what time she finally fell asleep, but she knew that she woke up far earlier than normal. Darcy never woke up before eight A.M. She fumbled out of her blanket cocoon and opened the door, sneaking down the hallway as quietly as possible. Loki wasn't in the living room, so he was either in the kitchen, the guest room, or not in the villa. She wouldn't have expected him to actually stay in the guest room, as it was full of storage boxes and didn't even have a bed- if she ever had overnight guests they were generally too drunk to care where they slept. But once she reached the kitchen, she was back on edge. There he sat, looking well-rested, at the kitchen table. He was reading the newspaper, sipping coffee and taking an occasional bite of toast. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was a normal person.

But she did know better.

"There's coffee," Loki said, eyes never leaving the newspaper.

"I can see that."

"And I made toast."

"Obviously."

"Oh come now, don't be so frigid." He turned the page.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do," she spat. That caused him to look up.

"I overlooked it last night because I expected you'd be surprised to see me, but don't make the mistake of thinking you can speak to me so rudely."

"I've had enough of this 'holier than thou' regal formal shit," Darcy advanced toward him. He folded the newspaper and set it down. "I don't know where you're from, but it's not acceptable to treat anyone like this."

"I'm from Asgard, actually, and I treat people however I like no matter where I am."

"Asgard?"

"Correct," he took a sip of coffee.

"So you know who Thor is, right?" Loki paused, and Darcy continued, "Because I know Thor, and he's a great person. He's nice, and he always does the right thing, and you should be ashamed that you don't act like him."

"Like I said," he set the mug down, "The world needs its villains."

AN: What do you guys think, should I continue? Reviews are loved! 3


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Continued by (popular?) demand! Hope this chapter keeps up with expectations.

Saying that breakfast had been tense was an understatement. Everything Loki did made Darcy want to kill him. But she was still concerned about the validity of the 'unbreakable vow'. She had barely eaten, leaving quickly to shower and dress- with a steak knife at the ready- and headed to work. She walked into the lab to see Jane running around, checking data reports and computer screens.

"What's up?" Darcy asked, setting her bag at her own small desk.

"We're getting some crazy energy readings. Here in town! It might be Thor, or someone else from Asgard!" Her excitement was obvious, as she bounced around grabbing data sheets and running calculations.

"Was there any activity at Rainbow Road?" Darcy tried to sound excited, but couldn't shake the feeling of guilt and apprehension.

"No, not that I can see, which means that whoever's causing these readings has a different method of traveling between the realms. Do you know what that means?" She didn't give Darcy a chance to speak, "It means that there may be another way to reach Thor!"

"So what do we do now?"

"I-" Jane paused, her hand hovering above a printer which was spewing out reports. She looked at Darcy, "I don't know. I guess we have to find him. Or her. Whoever's causing these readings."

"And how do we do that?" Darcy picked up a few data sheets and skimmed them, pretending she understood what they said.

"Here," Jane grabbed a few palm-sized devices and held one out to Darcy. "These are EMF scanners."

"Like on Ghost Hunters?"

"No, not at all. Because we're using these for real scientific research, not gimmicky 'reality' tv shows."

"Right. We're using them to find a god on earth who found a way to travel between worlds that doesn't use the recently destroyed Rainbow Road."

"I know, it sounds pathetic," Jane sighed.

Back at Darcy's villa, Loki was pacing. He had gotten himself into a bit of a jam. After Thor had destroyed the Bifrost, he had landed on Jotunheim- not the best place to be after he had tried to destroy it. But luckily he already knew other passages between the realms, like the one he had used to sneak the first three Frost Giants to Asgard. He had hidden out in the ice and snow for months, trying to plan out his next move. After that he had bounced through other realms, acquiring support- and enemies- as he gathered momentum for his master plan. God he had become so cliché.

Loki now had thousands of soldiers, scattered throughout the nine realms, awaiting his order to attack Asgard and overthrow Thor. But while his soldiers were biting at the leash to fight, Loki was hiding out once more. A band of self-righteous warriors from Vanaheim had discovered his recruitment, and though they did not know his plan, decided he needed to be stopped. Loki had barely escaped Vanaheim before dashing through Alfheim and finally to Midgard.

He sat on the couch, eyes focused on the ballerina figurines above the mantle. They were beautifully crafted- each one a slender blonde-haired goddess, similar to many of the women of Asgard. Loki knew little of Darcy and her family, though he knew the origin of the figurines. Darcy's mother had been a ballerina in the New York ballet before an ankle injury ended her career. For years she had urged Darcy to pursue ballet in order to live vicariously through her, but Darcy lacked natural grace.

"Curious girl," Loki muttered, leaning his head back on the couch and staring at the ceiling as he reminisced how he had learned of the Earth girl's existence. He was a teenager at the time, practicing magic in his room. He was attempting to use a mirror to spy on Thor and his friends in order to plan a prank, but mispronounced a word and saw a dark-haired child instead. The mirror flashed through her life, nearly in an instant, but it froze on an image of Loki's face, contorted in agony. From that moment he knew this girl would be a threat, so he had taken measures to ensure she would never harm him.

Darcy walked the streets of Puento Antiguo, her EMF scanner buzzing and whining quietly as she pointed it at passersby and various buildings. Across town, Jane was doing the same. But Darcy already knew the source of the readings, and where exactly to find it…

"Hey! Darcy!" She looked up to see a young man running up to her.

"Oh. Ben. Hey, what's up?"

"Not much. Whatcha got there?" he fell into stride beside her, staring curiously at the EMF scanner.

"Oh, it's just a doo-dad for Jane's research. We have to canvas the town to get a base reading or something like that." Not exactly true, but Darcy didn't feel like explaining anything at the moment.

"Cool, cool. So listen, I was wondering if you'd heard of Gina's party. Tonight at the skate rink."

"Yeah, I don't know if I'll go though."

"Oh…"

"Well I mean I might have to pull a late night at the lab. Jane's on some energy reading kick and I don't know how obsessed she's gonna be with it."

"Gotcha. Well y'know, if you can go, I thought it might be fun to…y'know, go with someone?"

"Yeah," Darcy smiled. "Yeah it would. I'll see if I can make it out tonight." She glanced up into his deep blue eyes.

"Cool! Well uh, I should probably let you get back to your…Whatever it is," he chuckled, turning off to walk to the library. "See you tonight," he smiled. Darcy watched him leave, smiling to herself as she turned to continue her assignment, lightly scuffing the soles of her shoes against the pavement as she meandered down the sidewalk.

Eventually she ran into Jane, signaling that they had finished their scan of the small town. They returned to the lab to process the results, grabbing some coffee while the reports printed.

"Well, I didn't find anything," Jane huffed.

"Me either," Darcy sat at her desk with a pink mug of espresso.

"Maybe we need to branch out into the desert? Towards the Bifrost site?" she ventured.

"Maybe. But…if this energy thingy is caused by a person, how do we know he hasn't already left town?"

"That's true. Maybe I should tell S.H.I.E.L.D. about this."

"About what?" Agent Coulson strode into the lab, flanked by security guards.

"Uh," Jane stuttered, "We got some crazy energy readings last night. We tried to track down the source, but we couldn't. We're not even sure if it's an object or a person."

"We know what it is," he slipped his hands into his slacks' pockets, standing in the middle of the room to look at both Darcy and Jane like a parent about to give a lecture. "The energy is coming from an Asgardian named Loki. We're not sure how, but this guy knows how to travel without the Bifrost."

"How do you know that?" Jane demanded.

"He opened a portal right into our central offices. Caused quite a stir when our Human Resources ladies found him in a filing room. He escaped, however, injuring several members of our security staff."

_Something's not right_, Darcy thought. _Coulson's never been this forthcoming before. Does he know something?_

"So you think he's here in Puento Antiguo?" Jane leaned back in her chair.

"He at least passed through," Coulson glanced at Darcy, then to Jane.

"So how do we find him?" she inquired.

"Right now that's not the focus," Coulson tipped his chin up slightly. "You see, we managed to keep Loki's portal open." Jane gaped at the agent, and Darcy's eyes widened. "I'm here to take you to headquarters so you can scan it, possibly manipulate it."

"I'll be ready in fifteen," Jane leaped to her feet, dashing to her bedroom.

"I can-"

"We don't need you, Miss Lewis. At least," he quickly added, "Not at base. You'll stay here and keep monitoring the Bifrost site. Just in case someone on their side gets it going."

"Right." _Figures_, she thought_, I get to stay and babysit the Bifrost and the Monster_.

Jane, Agent Coulson and the rent-a-soldiers left within the hour, leaving Darcy alone in the lab. There really wasn't much to do there, since she had already set up an alert program to forward any news to her iPhone. The one thing she was better at than Jane had always been staying up to date via phone. Well that and eating. She could eat an entire pizza on her own, whereas Jane could only nibble a slice, maybe two if she was really hungry.

But still, even though she had nothing to do at the lab it was better to be bored there than at her house. With him. Darcy shuddered at the mere thought.

So now she was sitting in the lab, wasting time on Tumblr.

"I wonder," she mumbled aloud before typing in 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' and hitting enter. No results. "Figures." She typed again, this time 'Loki'. It resulted in two images, paintings by long-dead artists. One was a man tied to boulders, a snake hissing over him as he shrank away to the best of his ability. Another was a very basic image of a man wearing a helmet with horns.

"So he _is_ the devil," she mused.

"That's not a very flattering depiction."

Darcy whirled around in her chair to see Loki standing behind her.

"How'd you get in here? I have the security system armed."

"Come now, you really think I can't get past a door? Don't forget how I popped in to visit you yesterday. I didn't use doors then, either."

Darcy stared. Every second he spent before her convinced her more and more that he might actually be a god. He had his fancy little magic tricks, and he also spoke differently- like Thor. Not to mention that his clothing was strange. It wasn't too outlandish, at least it hadn't been yesterday. But yesterday was Halloween, and half the town was wearing cow suits and superhero costumes. His black and green clothing, which seemed to resemble medieval costumes, had seemed natural then. And that morning Darcy hadn't been paying attention to his clothes so much as whether or not he would attack her.

But now, as he stood before her, she definitely felt the god vibe.

"So what do you want?"

"I wanted to see what was keeping you. Jane and Agent Coulson left quite a while ago yet you hadn't returned."

"I have to stay and monitor things."

"Please, Darcy-"

"Don't say my name."

"-You think I'm a fool?"

"Maybe."

"I know you must think your insolence is endearing, but trust me, it's not." His eyes were serious and his expression grim. Darcy gulped. "If it persists, I just may have to put you in your place. And if that happens, I can assure you it won't be pleasant," he paused, as if considering something, "For you, at least."

"You're a monster."

"Don't call me that," he snapped. "I may be a villain, but I am _not_ a monster." Darcy stood, stepped toward him, and before she could stop herself…

"Prove it."

"I warned you, Darcy." She cringed at the sound of her name. Then paled when she realized what had just happened. "Insolence will not be tolerated."

AN: Alrighty, there you go. As always, read and review to let me know what you think and what you would like to see more or less of!


	3. Chapter 3

She felt the cold before her other senses kicked in.

Darcy was no longer in the laboratory, but rather standing on an icy ledge. Around her, snow-capped mountains rose to tower in the dark gray sky. She spun in place, heart racing as she heard the sounds of ice moaning under her weight.

"Loki? Loki!" she screamed. Had he sent her to Antarctica? Against her better judgment, she inched toward the edge of the ice shelf to glance down. She gasped and backpedaled a few steps, her head reeling as it processed how high she was. Glancing around, she couldn't see a way down- or even off of the ledge for that matter. The frosty air was biting at her skin, and her bare arms developed goose bumps in a futile attempt to warm her.

"Loki!" She screamed to the sky, not knowing if he could hear her. She should have listened. She shouldn't have lost control.

The sound of falling ice startled her, and she spun to find its source. To the right of the ledge, a massive blue figure was shifting from what had been a perfectly concealed alcove. Darcy shrank back, shivering just as much from the cold as from the figure's blood red eyes. It appeared to be a male, as it was clothed in just a loincloth.

"You speak of Loki," it's voice was a low rumble, like an avalanche.

"What are you?" she whimpered.

It smiled, revealing white teeth that were sharper than a human's, "I am Halgrund, of Jotunheim." His response failed to reassure the shaking girl before him.

"Where…what…what's going on?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he stepped from his perch to the ice ledge Darcy was cowering on.

"I…I'm Darcy. Darcy Lewis. From New Mexico."

"Darcy Darcy Lewis," he tilted his head. "And how have you come to be in Jotunheim?"

"I don't know. I was in a lab. And I sassed this guy named Loki and-"

"So you do know the prince."

"Prince?"

"Prince Loki, of Asgard."

"Prince Loki," she breathed, her eyes darting across the snow in front of her as she processed this new information.

"And he sent you here?" Halgrund took a step forward and Darcy cowered further into the snow. Rather than speak, she merely nodded. "You will be taken to the King," he announced.

"There's no way off of this ledge," she pointed out. Being taken to a kind didn't seem like a good thing at the moment.

Halgrund smirked, grabbed Darcy- he stood at more than twice her height- pulled her into his arms like a small child, and jumped from the ledge. They slid down the side of the mountain, Darcy screaming the whole way, and landed in a pile of packed snow. Halgrund set her down and strode forward, as if he expected her to follow.

_I could run away_, Darcy thought. _But he's a lot bigger than me, and he can probably run faster. Plus I don't even know where I'm going. God_…

She fell into stride-half walking, half running- behind the blue giant.

Loki smirked to himself. A few hours in Jotunheim would show her who was in charge. He slid into Darcy's office chair, spinning around a few times before stopping and glancing at her computer. His brow furrowed as his eyes scanned over the foreign device. Midgardians and their technology. He tapped a few keys on her keyboard, and flinched slightly when something popped up on the screen. He leaned forward a few inches and looked at it, reading the words. They didn't make much sense to him, so he leaned back once more, looking to the right to glance over her coffee mug, now cold, and a few file folders. One was labeled 'Bifrost Site', one 'Asgard', and one 'Thor'. He picked up the one designated for his brother and opened it.

Inside was a biography of all that Jane and Darcy knew of the god of thunder, accompanied by the picture Darcy had taken. Loki scoffed in disgust at a few of the 'notations' Darcy had added to the file, such as 'Sex on legs' and 'Abs of dear god YES'. Darcy served as a perfect reminder to why Loki should never lay with a Midgardian woman.

He was about to turn from the first page- a compilation of Thor's statistics, such as height, supposed weight, and the like- to the second when he heard the door open. Surely Jane hadn't returned. Nevertheless, he camouflaged himself and stood, waiting to see who was entering the lab. A few moments later, Erik Selvig strode in. He was carrying a few books and a leather briefcase, shoulders slumped. He had dark circles under his eyes and his movements were lethargic.

"Jane?" he called. No response. Loki momentarily considered taking Jane's form and playing with the older man, but decided he would rather return to Darcy's villa to continue reading.

He teleported to her kitchen, walked through it, and took a seat on the couch, reopening the file.

"Heroic," he read one of the side notes, most likely added by Darcy, "Hardly." He skimmed the second page, which began an account of Thor's arrival. He couldn't help but smile as he read about his older brother being hit not once but twice by a car. Finally some small form of justice. He flipped to the third page to read about Thor's 'peculiar speech and habits', such as smashing cups in diners. Darcy's notes no longer consumed the margins of the file, which Loki was thankful for. Her large, bubbly script gave him a headache.

His head snapped up as he sensed a Frost Giant. He had left a small channel open to monitor Darcy- it simply wouldn't do to have her fall off a mountain and die. And now he could sense her distress and caught flashes of a Frost Giant. It didn't seem to harbor any obvious ill will, so Loki decided to let things play out for a while. If Darcy was indeed in danger, he could simply bring her back.

He watched through her eyes as the giant- Halgrund- led her to the castle. As they walked in, curious red eyes appeared as giants seemed to come straight out of the ice to watch. Halgrund led Darcy past the outer walls, revealing a new sight to the god on Earth. Every time Loki had been to Jotunheim, the furthest he'd ever been in the capital had been the outer walls, and he had never found himself interested enough to try to see more. As Darcy walked through, however, Loki found himself surprised at the architecture. Ice and rock had been carved to form high catwalks and various buildings of differing heights and construction. He could also see the female Frost Giants, who appeared surprisingly less savage than their male counterparts. The women had long, dark hair and swirling markings along their arms, legs and abdomens. While observing the sights, Loki could feel Darcy's heart race. She was undoubtedly frightened.

"My King, Thorland," Halgrund knelt, bowing his head as an exceptionally tall Frost Giant turned to face him. This one, Thorland, wore a simple crown of steel and sapphire, with a pair of rubies resting just above his temples. Thorland glanced from Halgrund to Darcy, surprise evident on his face when he saw the human.

"What is this?"

"I found a Midgardian on the Southern shelf." Thorland crouched to be closer to Darcy's eye level.

"And what do they call you, Midgardian?"

"Uh…Darcy. Darcy Lewis."

"Darcy Darcy Lewis. I am Thorland Laufeyson." Loki's breath hitched and his eyes narrowed.

"Listen, I'm sorry for being here. I didn't mean to be here. I was in my friend Jane's lab back on Earth, and I…I sassed this guy and I think he sent me here as some sort of punishment." Darcy's heart was racing.

"Who sent you?" Thorland tilted his head.

Darcy gulped, glancing from Halgrund to Thorland, "Loki."

The Frost Giant recoiled, as if the name was poison, "Prince Loki, of Asgard?"

"Yeah," Darcy squeaked. Thorland's eyes narrowed.

"And what was his intention of sending you here?"

"I was…I was being 'insolent'." Darcy crossed her arms across her chest, both trying to warm herself and pouting.

Thorland glanced to a Frost Giant female to his right and nodded at Darcy. The woman seemed confused, to which the king sighed lightly, "Humans cannot tolerate our temperatures." She nodded in understanding and walked into a nearby building, returning shortly with a blanket. Darcy accepted it and wrapped it around herself, eyes closing and a small smile spreading across her lips. Loki snarled at the apparent politeness. How could Frost Giants act so accommodating? They were monsters, nothing more.

"Now," Thorland began, "I need you to tell me everything you know of Loki."

"Well first off, he's a jerk. The first time I ever met him, he invaded my apartment and attacked me. Then the second time he showed up at my work and forced me to let him live with me."

"Exactly when did you meet him?"

This wasn't good. Loki could see the scheming glint in Thorland's eyes- he had seen it in his own reflections too many times to mistake it. If Darcy remained Jotunheim, she could ruin everything. With a simple thought, Loki snatched her from Frost Giant city and pulled her back to Midgard.

She now stood before him, still wrapped in the ridiculously large Frost Giant blanket, flakes of snow in her brown curls. When her eyes focused on him, she fell backward.

"How did you do that?"

"I've told you more than once, Darcy-"

"How many times-"

"-I am a god. And I will certainly not tolerate you attempting to weasel your way out of a punishment."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh you heard me quite clearly."

"You sent me to some godforsaken Iceland, and some strange thing rescued me and you think that's _my_ fault? God you're unbalanced!"

"Keep up the insolence," Loki advanced toward Darcy, "Maybe this time I'll send you to a volcano. That should thaw some sense into you."

Darcy recoiled, biting her tongue. She knew he would deliver on a promise like that. Seeing that she accepted his demands, Loki relaxed.

"Now tell me," he returned to the couch, "Where has Doctor Selvig been all this time?"

AN: Hope you guys liked it! As always, read and review.


	4. Chapter 4

"Why should I tell you?" Darcy crossed her arms.

"Because I asked you a question," Loki's response was flat.

"So?"

"Don't be impertinent."

"Look buddy, you can freeze me, you can burn me, but you _cannot_ make me tell you things that could put my friends in danger."

"So Erik is working on something top secret for S.H.I.E.L.D." Darcy blinked.

_I fell right into that_, she gaped.

"Thank you," Loki smirked at her. "Now tell me, how long do you plan to stand there wet and shivering?"

Darcy glanced down at herself. She was, in fact, wet from the melted snow. How had she not noticed that? She looked back into Loki's eyes, glaring.

"You're a bastard."

"Sticks and stones, love."

Darcy threw the blanket down and power-walked to her bathroom. She stripped the wet clothes from her body and started the shower. In her naked state she glanced in the mirror, appraising her body. As her eyes roamed from her neck to her navel, she realized she hadn't eaten.

Throwing on a robe, Darcy peeked out into the hallway. Loki was nowhere to be seen.

She sprinted to the kitchen and grabbed a pack of poptarts from a cupboard, running back to her bedroom to eat it. By the time she was finished, the shower was hot and the air was hazy with steam. Darcy dropped her robe on the bathroom floor and climbed into the shower, sighing as the water's head penetrated her skin and soothed her muscles.

Loki watched, invisible to Darcy's eyes. A sharp grin flashed across his face. He shed his outer layers, leaving only his black pants, and climbed into the shower while Darcy's eyes were closed. She stood facing the shower head, arms braced against the wall and neck bent as the water cascaded over her head and down her back. Loki leaned close, his hands resting next to hers, his body so close he could feel the water on his bare chest. His lips hovered next to Darcy's ear as he slipped into her mind.

She was focusing on the shower, the water, the heat. She was in such a vulnerable state that it was only too easy for the god of mischief. He twister her thoughts, projecting a scene…

Darcy stood there in the shower, just as she currently was. Loki's hands slid onto her waist, eliciting a gasp as she snapped her head up. Loki grabbed her bare, wet hips and turned her roughly, shoving her back against the shower wall.

"What are you…" she trailed off as Loki trailed kisses down her neck. He nipped lightly at her collarbone, sending a shiver up her spine. He traveled down further, leaving kisses on the skin between her breasts. The god knelt before her, grazing his teeth over her hipbones. Darcy's body began to tingle as she leaned her head back against the tile.

Loki's hands skimmed her legs as he stood again, gripping Darcy's slender thighs and lifting her. Pinned between his lean body and the wall, Darcy wrapped her legs around his waist and her hands slid to his neck and shoulders.

"You want this, don't you?" Loki growled in her ear. Without giving her time to respond, he kissed her roughly, grinding his hips into hers. She gasped into his mouth, and she could feel him smile through the kiss.

He broke the contact between their lips, and looked her directly in the eyes, "Tell me."

Darcy hesitated, her mouth hanging open. Her lips tingled from his kiss, and she was slightly dazed.

"Tell me you want me," Loki commanded again.

"I want you," she breathed. The god smirked and kissed her neck, one hand sliding Darcy's thigh to her back, pulling her naked body against his half-clothed form. His mouth moved from her neck to her jaw line, then back to her lips. His kisses were demanding and forceful, and tingle his skin left on her caused Darcy to wiggle her hips against his. He growled lightly in approval, the hand on Darcy's back leaving momentarily to unfasten his pants…

Darcy's head snapped up so fast Loki barely avoided it. He backed away, still invisible to her. His eyes roamed her body as she let the water run over her face, as if trying to wash away the dirty thoughts. Loki couldn't deny that she was an attractive woman, but he had too much sense to actually consider her. Implanting the scene was simply a bit of fun to displace Darcy's confidence.

He climbed out of the shower, retrieving his clothes and leaving Darcy's room. He dried himself and his pants with magic and re-dressed, taking a seat on the couch to await Darcy's return. Loki couldn't stop the smirk that spread across his lips. Darcy would think that she had a fantasy about him, that she was attracted to him, and it would put her in so much inner turmoil.

It was nearly an hour before Darcy left her room. She trudged to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of iced tea. Loki turned in his seat to watch her over the back of the couch.

"Pleasant shower?"

"Excuse me?" she snapped.

"You were in there for a while. I take it you enjoyed yourself?"

Darcy glared at him and took a long sip of iced tea. "Don't you have anything better to do than hang out at my house all the time?"

"As I said before," Loki turned away and picked a magazine up off the end table, "I'm taking a break to let the excitement die down." He opened it, flipping through. 'Best Sex of Your Life Every Night'? Silly Midgardian obsessions. Loki tossed the magazine back onto the end table with a small sigh.

"And why can't you lay low somewhere else? Like the gutter. That seems more fitting for you."

"Again with the insolence. Clearly Jotunheim was the wrong realm for you."

"Oh please, sir, send me to another. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the last one."

"You Midgardians seem to enjoy your sarcasm," Loki commented.

"You should try it some time. Or at least try having a sense of humor."

"I'll have you know I have a wonderful sense of humor," the god narrowed his eyes.

"Oh yeah? Cuz I haven't seen any of it. You're all serious business all the time, and it's getting old. If you want to lay low, you probably shouldn't be sending people to other worlds. Crap like that sets off the energy sensors and Jane'll find out."

Loki had no response. Darcy smiled to herself, her mouth barely turning up at the corners as she attempted to keep a cool, emotionless expression directed at the god.

"Well then I'll simply have to think up new punishments for you, won't I?" Darcy crossed her arms and Loki stood, slowly stalking toward her. "Maybe something from this world, hmm?" He circled her, like he was a wild animal and she was a domesticated rabbit. Darcy's pace quickened and her eyes attempted to track him as he walked around her.

He stopped behind her, leaning over her shoulder to whisper in her ear. His voice was low, dark, and serious, "Tell me, Darcy, what would humiliate you?" Her breath hitched in her chest. Loki sensed it and smirked, walking toward the guest room.

"I'm retiring for the evening. You are not to disturb me. Is that understood?"

Darcy offered no response, and after a moment of waiting Loki ignored her and walked into his room.

"It's not even five o'clock, creep."

Four hours had passed and Darcy had finished twenty-three Sudoku puzzles, five word searches, an online puzzle, and she had scrolled through fifty-four Tumblr pages- all pictures of cats. She rolled away from her computer desk, rubbing her sore eyes. Darcy jolted when she saw the image of Loki, shirtless and soaked, right in front of her in the shower.

_That's just sick_, Darcy thought. _What is that, some sort of Stockholm syndrome? That's just wrong_. She stood and stretched, arching her back and leaning her neck from side to side. Again, she remembered a flash from her fantasy- this time it was Loki kissing her neck as he pinned her to the wall. _You have problems_.

Darcy flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her phone, which had been charging on her nightstand, vibrated. She picked it up to see a text from Ben.

'Hey Darce, you going to the party?'

_Shit I totally forgot_! She bolted from her bed to her closet, throwing the door open and rummaging through her clothes to find something suitable. She decided on a pair of white shorts and a teal, empire-waisted tank top with sequins covering the chest. Changing quickly, she sent a reply to Ben informing him that she would be there soon.

Darcy walked into the skate rink, a large building that most would consider in dire need of renovation. It had long since been retired from its hay day of hosting skating events, and the smooth vinyl floor now served as a dance area. Music was playing, and the party was about to fall into full swing.

"Darcy!" Ben ran up, smiling.

"Hey," she returned the expression.

"I'm really glad you made it out."

"Me too! I've had a hell of a day."

"Lots of work at the lab?"

_No, I just spent an hour or two on a foreign planet with giant blue people_.

"Yeah." Darcy walked next to Ben as he approached the concession area and sat at a table.

"I bet it's fun, though," Ben commented. "Better than the library, at least."

"I don't know about that," Darcy shrugged.

"Hey, the highlight of my day was chasing down some kid who tried to rob the gumball machine. For the gum. I mean who does that?"

Darcy chuckled, "Good question."

"But hey, better he gets set straight after a gum incident than go on to break into someone's house and attack them or something." Darcy paled.

"Yeah, dude. Totally."

Loki hadn't heard noise in the house for several hours. Sure he had been sleeping for most of it, but Darcy seemed far too loud to be this quiet. He left his room and ventured into the kitchen, making a short stop to get an apple. Not seeing Darcy in the kitchen or living room, he continued to her bedroom.

She wasn't there.

He glanced around, confused and frustrated. How could she leave without telling him? He was the one in charge in this situation and she simply couldn't run around whenever or wherever she wanted. He would have to teach her later.

Returning to the living room, Loki reached out with a mental spine, canvassing the town. After a few minutes, he finally found her at a dilapidated establishment. The music was loud- and bad- and none of the inhabitants knew how to dance properly. He could see Darcy on the dance floor, her back pressed against some stranger's front, swaying to the music. Both had large smiles on their faces as they spoke to each other, nearly screaming to be heard over the noise.

Loki's jaw locked. She wasn't supposed to be enjoying herself. She was supposed to be sitting in her room, dwelling on how miserable she was. With a blink, the Asgardian shifted his customary clothing to something that would blend in better; dark washed jeans, a green t-shirt, and a black button-up shirt with the top three buttons undone. He took a step and traveled from Darcy's living room to the dance floor and strode toward the brunette and her…friend.

"Darcy," he yelled, though it came across as barely a normal volume. She whipped her head to look at him, paling.

"What do you want?"

"You aren't supposed to be here. Come with me, now," he stressed the last word, his eyes narrowing. Darcy squared her shoulders, stepping away from Ben.

"I don't have to."

"Darcy-"

"I have told you way too many times-"

"-You will leave this nonsense and come with me."

"Listen, dude," Ben stepped between Darcy and the god, "She doesn't have to go anywhere with you."

"And who might you be?" Loki tilted his head to the side.

"Ben. Now just move along. If it's work stuff, it can wait 'til tomorrow."

"And if it's not 'work stuff'?"

"Then we might have a problem." Ben was tall, but not as tall as Loki. Although he carried bulkier muscles, about halfway between Loki and Thor's body types.

"This doesn't concern you, Midgardian."

"What'd you call me?" Ben shifted his weight, turning his body to prepare for a physical altercation.

"There's no use in repeating it, you still wouldn't understand."

Ben swung, Darcy gasped, and Loki…Took the punch. He shook his head slightly, chuckling. He looked straight at Ben, a glint in his green eyes.

"I'm afraid you'll have to do much better than that."

AN: Woohoo! Another chapter. I'm surprising myself at how quickly I'm updating. It normally takes longer. As always, read and review 3


	5. Chapter 5

Loki's arm moved swiftly and gracefully through the air. His fist connected with Ben's chest, sending him back several feet. As the mortal lay on the ground, the air knock from his lungs, the god squared his shoulders and lightly tugged his rolled sleeves.

"Darc-" he watched as she ran to Ben's side, kneeling and cradling him in her arms. Loki gaped- she would choose to comfort a weak Midgardian rather than admit submission to the victor? This woman made no sense.

Darcy turned to glare at Loki, "You need to leave, now, before I do something we'll both regret." He assumed she meant breaking her vow. It simply wouldn't do to have her dead just yet. Loki turned on his heel and stepped, traveling back to Darcy's villa just as the music stopped and people began to notice what had happened.

"Sit up, Ben," Darcy rubbed his back gently.

"Guy hits like a freight train," he wheezed.

"I am so sorry, I didn't think he'd know I was here- much less try to come and get me."

"Who is he? Jealous ex-boyfriend?" Ben stood, stretching slightly.

"No," Darcy scoffed, "He's an asshole that thinks everything belongs to him."

"Do you work with him?"

"Sort of. Listen, I should go. I had a great time, but I don't want him coming back. Things'll just get worse."

"Are you gonna be safe? What if that guy goes after you?"

"I'll be fine. I know how to deal with him."

"Are you sure?" Ben's eyes pleaded with her.

"I'm sure," Darcy stood on her toes, kissing Ben softly on the lips, "Thank you."

She returned home to see Loki lounging in a chair by the window. He was so deep in thought he didn't realize she had walked in.

"How dare you," her voice was low as she stalked toward the god. He looked up, an expression of disinterest on his face.

"I don't have time for this."

"Well then you'll fucking make time!" she yelled. Loki's eyes widened and he blinked at her. She wasn't just upset or angry, she was furious.

"I beg your pardon-?"

"I don't care who you think you are, but you do _not_ hunt me down and punch my friends!"

"He was insolent."

"He was standing up for me!"

"That's hardly of any consequence."

"Reality check, dude. This isn't your world and you're sure as hell not its king. You can't go around demanding people do what you want and laying them out when they don't. Life doesn't work like that!"

Loki stood, cool and collected, and looked Darcy in the eye.

"For now."

He strode past her and into the kitchen. Darcy watched, eyes blazing, as he opened the fridge and pulled out a package of steaks.

"Prepare this for me."

"Did you hear a word I just said? You're not the boss of me!"

"And you have clearly forgotten that I am far more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

"Do your worst."

Loki raised a hand, but stopped when shards of lightning and ice erupted from the living room. Halgrund appeared, crouching. A wicked grin crept across his face, and Loki paled.

"Your majesty," the Frost Giant's voice rumbled through the house.

Darcy felt Loki grab her arm, and the next sensation was…grass? The two were now laying in grass and flowers, looking up at a soft blue sky.

"What just happened?"

Loki stood, adjusting his Midgardian clothes, "I transported us to Alfheim."

"What the hell is Alfheim?"

"It is one of the nine realms. I have many allies here."

"So what's going on? Are you and the Blue People in some sort of fight?"

"Not….not exactly." Loki began walking toward a treeline.

"And what does that mean?" Darcy followed him.

"It doesn't concern you."

"Considering the Jolly Green Giant's blue cousin just teleported into my house, I think it does. Besides, he's one of the people I met when you vanished me to Antarctica."

"That was Jotunheim."

"Same thing."

"Hardly."

"So what's going on? Were you finally a jack ass to someone more powerful than you?"

Loki turned on his heel, "There isn't a single Frost Giant- no, there isn't a single _being_- more powerful than me. Do you understand that?"

"You are so full of yourself."

"For your sake I'll pretend that's a compliment."

"Or what, you'll send me back to the snow globe? Not as bad as it seemed, buddy. It beat being with you, that's for sure."

Loki bristled, "Be happy I'm in such a merciful state."

"Or what?"

Before Loki could respond, bushes rustled several feet away. The god stood straight and stared at the bush.

"Show yourself."

"My lord?" A slender man rose from the tangle of branches, peeking at Loki and Darcy.

"Selledin," Loki's voice was surprised.

"We weren't expecting you. Is it time?" Selledin's voice was excited, and his eyes were bright.

"No. I had a problem back on Midgard-"

"I can see that," he eyed Darcy warily.

"-And I came here out of instinct."

"I see. Well welcome, sir, camp is this way!"

"Camp? What, you camp out in the woods with a troupe of fairy boy scouts?" Darcy laughed. The men ignored her, tracking through the forest.

Darcy's mouth dropped when they arrived at the "camp". What she had expected to be basic tents with a fire in the middle turned out to be towering tree houses with rope bridges extending through the branches.

"Whoa."

Loki smirked, but remained silent. It wasn't until a man dropped down from one of the tree houses and strode toward them that Loki spoke.

"Wilfrem!" The men embraced, clapping each other once on the back and releasing.

"It's good to see you, Prince Loki. I feared that the Vanir had found you."

"No, I eluded them quite easily."

"Wow you guys talk like medieval movies," Darcy placed her hands on her hips.

Wilfrem looked over Loki's shoulder to see the brunette, "And who might this be?"

"I'm Darcy. Darcy Lewis."

"Greetings, Darcy Darcy Lewis."

"No, my name's…Nevermind."

"I've been using Darcy's home as a hideout on Midgard," Loki explained.

"I see," Wilfrem eyes Darcy once more, then glanced at Loki. "And is that all you've been using her for?" he whispered, winking at the god.

"Don't be vulgar. You know my tastes are far too evolved."

Wilfrem laughed and clapped Loki on the back.

"Well in honor of your return, tonight we feast!" The camp erupted in a cheer. Darcy nearly gagged at how everyone was fawning over Loki.

It didn't take her long to realize that she was the only female in the entire camp. She had mistaken a few of the men for women, due to their long hair and delicate features, but had been corrected. As she walked around that night, she could feel eyes on her and hear whispered tones as she passed by. What was all of this about?

She climbed a rope ladder and walked to the empty tree house she had been shown to earlier. Once inside she found peace from the music, laughter and tall tales being told by all of the men around the fire.

_It's like being at a renaissance fair_, she thought. _A renaissance fair that never ends and doesn't even sell sexy little corsets and junk_. She climbed into the large bed centered against the far wall. The room was so dark she had nearly fallen three times on her way there. She pulled the covers over her body and nestled in, shocked at just how soft the mattress was. Within minutes she was asleep.

Loki had spent several hours listening to tales of what had transpired since he was last in Alfheim. He laughed with the elves and drank. A lot. By the time the fire was reduced to embers, he could feel the alcohol in his head, fuzzing things over. He climbed the rope ladder and swayed to his room. It was dark- so much so that he fell three times before getting to the bed. He pulled the covers over his body and rolled over, snuggling up to a pillow.

Only it wasn't a pillow.

In the morning, Darcy woke to the feeling of strong arms wrapped around her slender waist. Her back was against a toned front.

"Mm," she purred, "Ben?" She was probably dreaming. Ben was back on Earth. Unless she was back on Earth and the entire ordeal with Loki had been a dream.

One of the arms moved, its hand stroking from her flat stomach up her rib cage, lightly tracing around the curves of her breasts. The touch was so slight that it tickled Darcy, and she giggled sleepily. She felt something nuzzle into her hair, at the nape of her neck. The hand slid from her chest down to the top of her shorts, where it lingered for a moment before the fingers slid just past the waist. Darcy hummed again and rolled over to see-

She screamed and shoved Loki as hard as she could, though it pushed her away more than it moved him. He woke with a start, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"What are you doing in my bed?"

"_Your_ bed?" Darcy yelled, "I was here first! This was the room they showed me to yesterday. What are _you_ doing in _my_ bed?"

"I should have expected this," Loki grumbled, lacing his fingers behind his head and laying on his back, "You're only human, after all."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't deny it, I'm attractive. I'm also what you Midgardians call a 'bad boy'. I read that in one of your Cosmopolitics."

"You are so full of yourself." Darcy stood from the bed and tugged her tank top down to cover her stomach. "I'll have you know that you are not attractive, and you're not a 'bad boy', you're a sociopath!"

"Sticks and stones, love," he stretched out, still lying in the bed.

"If you want your bones broken, I'll be only too happy," Darcy muttered.

"Don't forget your oath," Loki smirked.

"I swear to god-"

"Yes, you did swear."

Darcy screamed and left the room. She passed Wilfrem on her way toward a rope ladder, her face still frozen in anger.

Wilfrem walked into the guest room to see Loki stretched across the large bed.

"Good night?" he chuckled.

"Yes. Until that minx climbed into my bed."

"Come now, Loki, even you can't deny the pleasures of female company all the time."

"Trust me, Wilfrem, her company is not pleasurable. She is insolent."

"Well you know what they say," Wilfrem shrugged.

"What?"

"If you can't beat them, join them."

"That makes absolutely no sense. Are you still drunk?"

Wilfrem laughed, "A woman in spite will never stop making a man's life miserable, but a woman in love will do whatever he says. Think on it, my friend."


	6. Chapter 6

Darcy mulled around the fire pit, down on the ground of the camp. She kicked some dirt and leaves, staring at her feet. Sitting on a stump beside the pile of ash, she propped her elbows on her knees and sighed.

_I wonder how Ben's doing_. _I wonder if Jane's noticed I'm gone. She's not in town, though_. Darcy sighed again.

"Don't look so depressed," Loki drawled. "You're far too obnoxious to be this quiet."

"Have I ever told you how good you are with women?" she rolled her eyes as the god sat on a log beside her.

"I don't have to hear it from you, I hear it quite regularly from others."

"God you're full of yourself."

"Thank you."

"So can I go home now?"

"There's a very good chance that the Frost Giant is still in your house. And he could have brought more if he's learned how to open portals."

"So that's a no?"

"It's simply not safe."

"So that's a no."

"Yes."

"So wait is it a no or a yes?"

"It's a no," Loki huffed. "You can be so dense."

"There's that complimentary attitude of yours. Stop it, you'll make me blush."

"Tell me, Darcy-"

"How many times do I have to tell you to not say my name? I don't like it."

"Well then what should I call you?"

"Call me…I don't know…"

"How about Lewis?"

"That sounds like a boy's name."

"Well what's your second name?"

"I…I don't have one," Darcy mumbled.

"What?"

"I don't have a middle name."

"I thought all Midgardians had middle names."

"Nope. On my dad's side of the family, only the first-born son gets a middle name. Some stupid tradition. It makes paperwork a nightmare."

"Well then what am I to call you if I'm not permitted to use your name?"

Darcy thought for a moment, "Windy."

"…What?"

"Call me Windy."

"Why?"

"I like the sound of it," Darcy shrugged. "When I was little, Peter Pan was my favorite movie. But I would always say Wendy instead of Windy."

"Very well."

"Okay."

They sat in silence for a few minutes as elves tended the camp around them. A small group walked into the forest with bows and arrows, a small hunting party apparently.

"I'd like to apologize for this morning," Loki's voice disrupted Darcy's thoughts.

"What?"

"This morning. I made an assumption and it was incorrect. And for that I apologize."

"Oh," Darcy blinked. "Don't worry about it," she eyed him warily. _What's he playing at? He's never nice like that_.

Loki turned and offered a small smile. No matter how much she disliked him, Darcy couldn't deny the flutter in her stomach when she saw it. _He might've been a bit right on the whole 'bad boy' thing_…

Darcy was bored out of her mind. She and Loki had been in the elves' camp for two days now, and there didn't seem to be anything to do. She would wake up, walk around, climb trees, sit for a while, walk around some more, have small conversations with some of the men, and climb more trees. And on top of that she hadn't been able to change or properly bathe- she had to sneak away to quickly shower in a small, cold stream. Loki seemed to be enjoying himself, though. He would carry on long, friendly conversations with not only Wilfrem but all of the elves, and he occasionally joined the hunting parties. Darcy found herself wondering how Loki knew all of these people- they seemed to worship him.

She approached Wilfrem one evening while Loki was indisposed, conversing with a group of younger elves.

"Yo."

"Darcy Darcy Lewis! And how are you this fine evening?"

"Bored," she shrugged. Wilfrem chuckled. "So I was wondering…How do all of you know Loki?"

"Ah, it is quite a tale indeed. Many of us, myself included, met the Prince decades ago when he began traveling through the realms."

"Decades? How old are you people?"

"I am eighty-four," Wilfrem smiled, "The Prince is a few hundred years old, I believe."

"What?" Darcy gaped. "A few _hundred_? He looks like he's in his late twenties, early thirties max."

"Asgardians are immortal, my friend. Loki will appear as he does now for hundreds of years to come. And even if their kind did age ungracefully, he's a powerful enough illusionist to make himself appear youthful."

"Wow."

"Yes, he is quite impressive is he not?"

"So how do you guys know each other?"

"Prince Loki came to our realm on accident, when he began practicing advanced magic. He was stuck here for a while, so we took him under our wing. Eventually he learned how to return home, but continued to visit. He's now far too powerful for any of us to challenge his authority." Darcy would have expected Wilfrem to be resentful- she didn't think that submitting to Loki's authority could ever be enjoyable- but the elf seemed thrilled by it.

"Does he know how to control people's thoughts?"

"You think me foolish for following the Prince, don't you?" he smiled.

"Well yeah. The guy's a jackass."

"Darcy Darcy Lewis, how little you know of the man."

Before Darcy could ask what he meant, Loki strode over.

"I hope you don't mind if I borrow Wilfrem for a moment."

"He's all yours." Darcy walked off a few feet and turned to watch them. They had fallen into a slightly hushed conversation, their eye contact so absolute she imagined they couldn't possibly be aware of what was going on around them. She tiptoed backwards, leaning her head slightly to listen in.

"Eaves dropping is not becoming of a lady," Loki's voice floated to her.

"I wasn't eaves dropping," she snapped. The god turned to smirk at the mortal, and her cheeks turned pink. She left quickly, walking over to the fire and sitting on a long next to an elf playing a flute. She kept glancing back at the men, but she couldn't figure out what they were talking about. They barely moved, much less raised their voices or changed their facial expressions- Wilfrem seemed to be constantly grinning, Loki's back was turned to her.

When the men finished their discussion, Loki walked toward the fire and sat on a stump two feet from Darcy.

"So do you think I could get a change of clothes some time? I've been wearing this tank top and shorts for like three days."

"I can arrange something. What would you desire?"

"A pair of jeans, t-shirt and cardigan?"

"What's a cardigan?"

"It's like a sweater but kinda lightweight and it buttons up the…Why don't we just go back to Earth? I'm pretty sure a ginormous blue guy wouldn't be hanging around there, he'd stick out like a sore thumb. That's not very stealthy. He'd be run out of Puento Antiguo in a day."

"Unless he's destroyed it by now."

Darcy's heart nearly stopped.

"Halgrund wouldn't do that, would he?"

"You know his name?" Loki regarded her with disgust.

"Well yeah. The guy rescued me from an ice shelf."

"Frost Giants are dumb brutes, why would you bother to learn or remember a particular one's name?"

"Because he seemed like a nice guy."

"Frost Giants are not nice."

"Why so much hate, dude? Did one steal your candy when you were a baby?"

Loki's posture went rigid and his tensed. Darcy leaned back. She had seen him annoyed and somewhat upset, but he seemed…enraged, in a sense.

"Clearly I've hit a nerve. Nevermind."

"Frost Giants are not nice," Loki repeated. "They once attempted to conquer and destroy Midgard and its inhabitants."

"Didn't know that," Darcy stared at her feet.

Loki paused, took a breath and continued, "The people of your realm have been lucky enough to be unaware of the other realms. You may believe that they exist, but you aren't involved in their problems."

"But we can still be killed and taken over by you guys, so it doesn't really make it that good. In fact, it makes it pretty sucky. We could have an armada of spaceships coming toward us through an inter-dimensional portal and we'd be helpless."

Loki pondered her statement for a moment before offering a one-shoulder shrug. Turning back to the fire, Darcy noticed the elf with the flute waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm sure you can, fair maiden."

"Oh ew," Darcy stood and walked toward one of the ladders. The elf sat, dejected, and Loki chuckled.

The next day, Darcy woke to find a pair of black skinny jeans, a green t-shirt, and a black, hooded cardigan laying at the foot of her bed. Smiling, she quickly stripped and reached for the new clothes.

"Do you like the clothes?" Loki strode into the room, apparently oblivious to the fact that Darcy was almost naked.

"Dude!" she shrieked, holding the cardigan to cover herself, "Manners! What is wrong with you?"

"It's just flesh, I don't see what-"

"It's not 'just flesh', it's my flesh and it's private!"

"Please, Darcy-"

"What have I said about my name?"

"_Windy_. I have seen naked women before, it's nothing new."

"I don't care if you've seen other chicks naked-"

"What do birds have to do with-"

"-It's my body and I don't want you looking at it!"

"Midgardian women are ridiculous. You wear shreds of cloth and still try to claim that you have your virtue."

"I don't wear shreds of cloth, I wear clothes!"

"You bare your legs freely."

"Shorts and skirts are normal, dude."

"They're immodest," Loki scoffed.

"You're a prude."

"How am I a prude?"

"You think women should wear burkas or something like that, yet you're totally casual about walking in on an undressed girl, what is wrong with you?"

"I'm not condoning covering absolutely everything being covered, I'm merely saying that it's inappropriate to show off so much skin."

"But you're totally chill about seeing me and other women almost naked. Double fucking standard, dude! Now would you mind turning around so I can get dressed?"

"Fine," Loki turned his back to her and she dropped the cardigan, slipping into the jeans. Darcy was unaware that there was a mirror on the wall near the door, and Loki could still see her. His eyes traveled up and down her body, taking in her milky white skin and slender figure. He was more accustomed to seeing the curvaceous females of Asgard, so he considered her slim body to be quite strange. When she finished dressing, she cleared her throat. Loki turned back to face her, a bored expression on his face.

"Now what was so important that you had to creep on me?"

"I wanted to know if the clothes were satisfactory."

"Yeah they're fine, thanks." The two stood in silence for a few moments. "Is that all?"

"I…I wanted to show you something."

The two had walked the entire day. They passed beautiful meadows, traveled through dense forests, and walked by a monstrous waterfall at one point. By the time the sun was setting, they came to the mouth of a cave.

"Oh god you're gonna kill me, aren't you?"

"Pardon?"

"You're gonna kill me and hide my body in the cave. Dammit."

"If I wanted you dead it would have happened long again. I probably would have executed you quite publicly to make an example of your death."

"Oh. Good to know."

"Come."

Loki lead her into the cave. Twenty feet in, they plunged into cave darkness. Darcy instinctively grabbed Loki's arm, not wanting to fall off a ledge in the dark. A second later, green flame erupted in the god's hand, illuminating the cave. Darcy released his arm with a small cough, and followed as he walked forward. After ten minutes of walking, they emerged onto a small plateau overlooking a massive valley. The moon was rising on the horizon before them, illuminating flowers and a small stream below.

"Wow," Darcy breathed.

"I discovered this the first time I came to this realm.

"It's beautiful."

"Yes it is." Loki glanced at Darcy, who stood awestruck by the sight. She felt his eyes and returned his gaze. The god took a step closer, closing the distance between them. Sliding a hand onto the small of her back, he gently drew her body to his and leaned down, his green eyes locked with her brown irises.

"Darcy," he paused, waiting for her to correct him, but she didn't speak, "May I kiss you?"

Rather than speak, she leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips against his. Loki's other hand reached up to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her brown curls, and pulled her closer. Darcy closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Loki took a step forward- Darcy's body moving with his- and guided her to sit on a boulder, pressing into her body until she was lying down with him on top of her. His lips traveled from her mouth to her jawline, then to her neck. He lightly nipped her collarbone, eliciting a small gasp from Darcy as she both felt the sensation and recalled the fantasy from her shower. Loki's lips trailed along the neckline of her t-shirt, coming to a halt at her cleavage. He placed a soft kiss on her skin before pulling back slightly to look at her.

"You are a truly beautiful woman, Darcy Lewis."

AN: Meh, kind of a cliffhanger. Not quite as suspenseful as the previous ones, but I felt like this was a good place to stop the chapter. As always, read and review! 3


	7. Chapter 7

"What's your end game?" Darcy's eyes locked with Loki's.

"What?"

"Please," she shoved him off of her, "I may not be as smart as Jane, but I'm not an idiot. You are not a nice person, and you sure as hell aren't romantic like this. At least not with a human. So why don't you just come right out and say what you want?"

Loki stood a few feet from her. Finally he sighed, leaning back against part of the cave entrance, "Do you feel inadequate? Is that why you believe I wouldn't do this without an ulterior motive?"

"I'm perfectly happy with myself, thank you. I just don't trust you."

"That's a pity," he eyed her for a moment before shifting his gaze to the moon.

"So you're not going to tell me, then?"

"I have no hidden agenda, Miss Lewis. I find you…unique. Intriguing. You are beautiful, and you are unlike any other woman I have ever met. Over the past few days, I have grown quite attached to you."

"Yeah, like a fungus."

"I am truly sorry if you believe my intentions sinister. I meant no disrespect or harm." The look on Loki's face and the tone in his voice conveyed sincerity, but Darcy was still skeptical. Loki sighed and continued, "Three years ago, I wronged you. I know that. I feel I owe you an explanation."

"Ya think?" Darcy crossed her arms.

"When I was younger, I would spend hours in my bedroom reading and practicing spells. I had just discovered a scrying spell, and intended to use it to spy on my brother and his friends. I was planning to play a trick, and I needed information. But when I spoke the incantation, I mispronounced a word or two. Somehow it showed me you, as a child. It flashed through your life, and…I saw myself. The last image I saw was myself, in great agony. I thought that you were going to cause it. So after I had perfected inter-realm travel without the Bifrost, I journeyed to Midgard."

"When you broke in, you said you knew you had picked me for a reason. Because I would make it interesting."

"I've kept an eye on you your whole life, Darcy. Not constant watch, but I've monitored you. I knew that you spent far too much time watching those silly horror movies. My initial intention that evening was to kill you, but…I have a penchant for theatrics, I'll admit. And I don't enjoy taking a life. I thought that if I scared you and made you swear, that I would be able to let you live and never cross paths with you again."

"So what happened?"

"I've found myself on the wrong side of the Vanir. They're a race of immortals, similar to Asgardians, but where we stress battle and glory, they believe in a quiet, country-side existence. Unfortunately they are terribly skilled warriors, and a group of them chased me from their realm. I couldn't stay in the others, because that's where my allies are and I couldn't put them in danger."

"So you went to Earth?"

"No one would have thought to look for me there, and it was better than Jotunheim."

"Why do you hate the blue people so much?"

"I'm afraid that's a long, complicated tale…"

"I've got time," Darcy pulled her legs under her.

"It's a tale for another time." Loki's jaw was locked, and Darcy could tell he really didn't want to talk about it.

"Fine. But you will tell me some time. I'm serious."

"I don't want you to think that I have impure intentions, Darcy. That couldn't be further from the truth." Darcy fidgeted on the boulder, feeling his gaze on her.

"So…Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you kiss me?"

Loki chuckled, "Didn't I tell you just now? You are a beautiful woman, and you intrigue me. And that's quite a feat, I might add. I'm quite easily bored."

"Huh." Darcy leaned back, bracing her arms behind her. Loki walked toward her, his stride smooth and purposeful.

"Darcy," he leaned down so low Darcy had to lie back on the boulder to keep eye contact. "May I kiss you again?"

Darcy's hand slid to his collarbone, where it lingered for a moment before slipping behind his neck and pulling him toward her. Loki tilted his head, deepening the kiss, and lowered his body to Darcy's, supporting himself on his forearms and elbows in order to not crush her delicate frame.

Rather than repeat his actions of a few minutes ago, Loki started a new path. He slid Darcy's shirt up to reveal her flat stomach and placed soft kisses on the skin above her jeans. He slowly moved back up her body, flicking his tongue out occasionally to lick the soft skin of her abdomen. Darcy ran her fingers through his black hair, guiding his face to hers before kissing him hungrily on the lips. In one swift, fluid motion, Loki rolled over so he was sitting on the boulder with Darcy straddling his lap. His hands ran from her knees to her backside, pulling her hips firmly against his waist. His mouth moved from her lips to her chest, kissing the skin left uncovered by the shirt as his hands continued to move, sliding up her bare waist to her rib cage, where he had pushed her shirt. Loki glanced at Darcy's eyes momentarily before guiding her cardigan off of her shoulders and arms. His hands now slipped under her t-shirt, slowly sliding it over her chest. As the shirt was slowly pushed up her body, Loki left kisses on each inch of newly bared skin.

Darcy pulled the t-shirt off and dropped it at her side, brown doe eyes locked with Loki's green irises. His strong hands slid across her rib cage, around her narrow waist, and up her back, stopping at the band of her bra. Darcy leaned down and kissed him, and in a moment her bra was on top of the t-shirt and Loki was holding her body flush against his.

It was then that Darcy realized just how clothed Loki was. And just how unacceptable that was.

She slipped his overcoat off of his shoulders and moved to his shirt, although the strange clothes confused her. She searched, rather unsuccessfully, for clasps or buttons or anything that would help her undress the god.

"I think you're a bit overdressed," Darcy whispered against his lips, frustration evident in her voice. She felt him smirk.

Then she felt his skin as his shirt- or rather, shirts- vanished from his body. She would realize later that he had simply vanished them to the ground, but at the moment she was too caught up in the contact to care about anything else.

Loki was more muscular than Darcy had expected. His chest was defined, but lean. Similarly, his abs were toned but not considerably cut. Even his arms were more muscular than she had thought they would be.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Loki moved his hands to the button of her jeans. He unfastened it, but they both realized the pants wouldn't come off while she was straddling him. Just as Darcy was about to stand up for a moment to slip the pants off, Loki rolled over again to pin her body under his. The god slipped his fingertips just inside the waist band and tugged them down over her bottom, thighs, and calves, dropping them on the ground. He slid his hands from her ankles to her hips, sliding his right hand under the waist band of her panties as the other continued up her naked abdomen toward her neck. His hand rested on her collarbone, holding her to the boulder as he slid her panties off of her body. He traveled down her body placing kisses at her cleavage, the right side of her rib cage, just beneath her navel, and on her left hip bone. Continuing, he kissed down to the inside her left thigh, grazing his teeth over the skin. His breath was hot against Darcy's flesh, and she fidgeted when his lips left her skin.

Loki crawled back up her body to stare into her eyes. His body, only partially supported by his arms, was a comfortable weight on her. The bare skin of his upper body pressed down against her from hips to breasts, and their faces were close enough to close the distance in half a second. Darcy attempted to lean up and kiss the god above her, but his hand rested on her neck, too gentle to cause any concern but firm enough to keep her where she was. It felt like an eternity that Loki stayed there, practically frozen as he studied her from her curly brown hair to her full, pink lips to her flushed cheeks and her big brown eyes. But while he seemed caught up in his staring, Darcy grew impatient.

Using her hips for leverage, she rolled until the god was on his back and she straddled his waist. She kissed him, nipping lightly at his lower lip until his mouth opened and her tongue could slide in, exploring him. She mimicked him, kissing his jawline and neck, moving to his collarbone. Darcy could feel him inhale sharply when she flicked her tongue against the hollow of his neck, moving down and repeating the action between his pectoral muscles. She placed a kiss underneath his navel, above his pants, and hooked her fingers under the waistband.

"These need to go," her voice was a purr, hot breath against the Asgardian's skin. Darcy looked up his body to smirk at him.

In a heartbeat the pants were gone.

Darcy crawled up, determined to make him suffer impatience as he had made her, and kissed his neck. She bit the flesh softly, and Loki's hands slid across her back, pulling her against him. Turning her head, she moved to the other side of Loki's neck and grazed her teeth against his skin.

"Darcy," his voice was a sharp exhale. The god clearly lacked patience, as he rolled over and pinned Darcy to the boulder by her wrists. "I can't wait any longer."

He slid his hips, and Darcy gasped. Her back arched, pressing her chest against Loki's. As they fell into a steady rhythm, Darcy's mind clouded over.


	8. Chapter 8

"Well, Wilfrem," Loki smirked to his friend, "I think I've finally won in regards to Miss Lewis."

"Did you now?" the elf leaned back.

"I did. I expect she'll be far more agreeable now. Thank you for your advice."

"But can you keep up the act?"

"Please. Let's not forget I'm the Prince of Lies."

"Fair enough, Loki. So where is the young lady now?"

"Off in the forest somewhere," Loki waved his hand dismissively.

But Darcy wasn't in the forest.

She had decided to drop in on Loki, just to visit for a while. Her feet had frozen when she heard her last name, and she couldn't help but listen to the rest of the conversation.

_I should've known_, she thought. _God, Darcy, you're so stupid_! She stood there for a moment, unable to hear the men's voices over her own emptiness. _Well then, Prince of Lies…let's see who plays the better trick_.

That evening, Darcy was in her room when Loki entered, straightening when he saw her.

"Darcy," he smiled.

_Fake_.

"'Sup?"

"I was wondering if you were planning to join us for dinner."

"Oh. Totally lost track of time. Uh, yeah, I'll be down in a minute."

"I'll see you in a minute, then," his smiles looked so sincere, but she knew better. Her eyes narrowed on his back as he left, and she kicked her feet off of the bed. Walking to the mirror, she examined her reflection. She didn't have any makeup, but luckily she was just beyond the age of acne. To add some color to her pale skin, she lightly bit her lips and pinched her cheeks. That was followed by primping her hair, smoothing her eyebrows, and running her fingertips across her eyelashes to spread them.

"You're about to get your shit rocked."

Joining Loki and the elves, Darcy sat next to the god. She looked up at him, her large brown eyes smiling in sync with her lips.

"So, Loki, I was wondering…"

"Yes?"

"Well…I know you kind of don't want to, but I was wondering if we could go back to Earth?"

"Darcy-"

"I mean it's been a few days, and we could go somewhere other than Peunte Antiguo to see if the coast is clear."

"I really…" His voice had a hint of displeasure, which faded as he trailed off. He glanced down into Darcy's eyes which blinked innocently at him.

"Please?"

"I guess that would be alright," Loki gave her a small smile. _Success_, Darcy thought. "We'll leave in the morning, then. Will that be satisfactory?"

"Thank you!" Darcy threw her arms around Loki, snuggling into his neck and kissing it softly. She looked up into his green eyes, holding the gaze, "Thank you."

Loki paused, his mouth open slightly. Regaining his composure, he shut his mouth and nodded curtly. "Tomorrow, then."

The evening ended when a pair of elves got into a fistfight over a mug of brandy. Darcy and Loki walked toward their rooms, which were next to each other. As Darcy reached for the door to hers, the god took her other hand and tugged slightly. She looked at him curiously, to which he smirked in reply, walking backwards to lead her to his door.

_Seriously_? Darcy thought, _He thinks I'm gonna sleep with him two nights in a row? It's not like the sex was…Well okay it was fucking fantastic, literally, but_- Her thoughts, which had been playing as she watched him remove his coat and outer layers until he was in his pants and a simple green shirt, were cut off when Loki pulled her into the bed. Her back was to his front, his left arm under her head while the right snaked around her waist, locking her into place. _Oh…Nevermind, then_.

"Darcy," Loki whispered into her ear, his breath tickling the skin, "You're very warm."

"Oh…Sorry." She moved away an inch, but Loki's arm pulled tighter to bring her back.

"No, I like it."

Laying there, the god's warm breath licking against her neck, Darcy nearly forgot the conversation she had overheard. Moments like this just couldn't be faked, could they? Then again, it happened all the time in movies. And the actors and actresses only turned out to be sleeping with each other about…eighty percent of the time.

The next morning, the cold woke Darcy. She glanced around to see Loki was not in the room. Had he lied to her about going back to Earth? _That son of a_-

"Morning, Darcy," he strode into the room.

"Morning," she tugged the covers up to cover her a little more, hoping to block out the brisk morning air.

"Are you ready to return to Midgard?"

"Yes!" Flinging the covers aside, she leapt out of the bed and to Loki's side. "Are we going now?"

"We might as well. We can't go straight to Puente Antiguo, though. It's too dangerous. Is there another place we could go?"

"Well…"

"Darcy!" Her mother's shrill voice greeted them when she opened the door. Darcy found herself in a suffocating embrace with the tall, slender blonde woman who was squealing like a middle school girl looking at Justin Bieber.

"Hi mom."

"You haven't visited in forever! Come inside, come inside!" She ushered Darcy and Loki into the house- a spacious five bedroom estate in Northern California. They were led through the entryway, living room, and into the kitchen where an open patio door revealed Darcy's father.

He was sitting at a glass patio table, reading the newspaper. Both of her parents were the archetypal image of rich parents; her father wearing khaki slacks, a blue polo and a yellow sweater with the sleeves tied around his neck while her mother wore a high waisted floral skirt that flared out around her narrow hips, a ruffled, short-sleeved button up, and a brown waist belt.

"Preston, Preston look who's here!"

Darcy's father glance up and smiled as his eyes fell on his baby girl, "Darcy!"

Loki could easily see that Darcy was her parents' child. She had her father's dark hair and brown eyes, but her mother's build, skin and lips, though she was shorter than both. Preston Lewis stood and quickly walked over, pulling his only child into a tight hug.

"What made you decide to visit?" His smile was large and warm.

"Well, my friend…"

"Luke," Loki raised his eyebrows as he filled in a Midgardian name for Darcy.

"Yeah, Luke. We were on a road trip and figured we'd drop by."

"Oh," Darcy's mother looked Loki up and down, smiling and twirling her hair. "Welcome, Luke."

"Darce," her father began, squeezing her shoulder gently, "We were just about to have brunch, you hungry?"

"Oh, yeah."

Darcy, her father and Loki sat at the glass patio table as her mother brought out several dishes; an egg casserole, French toast, fruit salad, bacon, sausages- way too much food for the four of them, much less Darcy's parents alone.

"Yep. This is about right," Darcy muttered to Loki.

"So, Luke, tell us how you know Darcy," her mother propped her elbows on the table and cradled her chin in her hands.

"Oh. Well, I was in Peunte Antiguo for business, and I ran into her."

"What kind of business?"

"I work for an oil company and we've recently found some reserves in New Mexico. We're looking into building some facilities just outside of the town."

"Fascinating. So you two just met on the street?"

"No. You see a coworker of mine went to university with Jane Foster, the woman Darcy interns for, and asked if I would stop in and say hello. Unfortunately Jane wasn't in when I made my visit, so I got to talking with Darcy while waiting for her to return."

"How cute," her mother chimed. "So you two are-"

"Nicola," Preston chuckled, "Stop badgering them and let them eat."

Darcy's mother pouted but stopped questioning and ate.

"God that was so not cool," Darcy buried her face in her hands as she sat down on the chair in her bedroom. Loki, who had followed her, glanced around the quarters in slight astonishment.

"This is the house you grew up in?"

"Yeah."

"Then why do you live in such a humble villa in a nothing town?"

"Because I kinda like it."

"Pardon?"

"You wouldn't get it. You're a prince. You were born to be a prince. I was born into a ridiculously cliché upper class family but I don't fit. My mom wears designer clothes, expensive jewelry, and takes tennis lessons. My dad golfs, goes sailing, and plays polo. I'm the kind of girl that likes Target and American Eagle. I don't wear a lot of jewelry and I hate horses."

"How can you hate horses?" Loki gaped. They were his absolute favorite animal.

"Their eyes. Those black, scheming eyes. They're like sharks, but not." Loki stared at her, one eyebrow raised.

"That comparison doesn't even compare."

"Yes it does."

"No, it-"

"Knock knock!" Darcy's parents poked their heads inside the door.

"Hey pumpkin, we're going sailing. Want to join us?"

"I didn't bring any-"

"Oh silly goose you've got clothes here, remember?"

"Well Luke doesn't have any-"

"We'll buy him something on the way. Come on!" Their smiles were so bright, Darcy couldn't bear to say no. She sighed as they left, probably getting food ready.

"Well I guess we're going sailing." She stood and walked to her closet- a sprawling walk-in with clothes lining the walls- and gaped, "They shopped for me while I was gone? Jesus."

"It doesn't seem like you really want to go sailing."

"No, I don't. I get seasick pretty easily. But they seem really excited about having us join them, so I kind of have to go."

"No you don't."

"They're my parents, Loki. Just because I don't like what they do doesn't mean I don't like them. So we're going sailing." She returned holding a swimsuit. "Uh, do you mind?"

"What? I've already seen everything."

Darcy blushed, "Yeah but…But I need to change."

Loki strode over to her, circling behind and grabbing the edge of her t-shirt, sliding it up her body, and whispered, "How bout I help you?" Darcy's breath hitched in her chest. The god slipped the shirt up over her chest, his hands going over the curves of her breasts and continued guiding the garment off of her body.

He dropped the shirt on the floor and unclasped her bra, slowly sliding the straps off of her shoulders and down her arms.

"Why do you do that?" Darcy mumbled.

"Do what?"

"Every time you undress me, you do it really slowly."

Loki chuckled lightly in her ear, "Because I enjoy it. It's a memory that I want to last, so I take my time." He kissed behind her ear and trailed down her neck, to her shoulder, then down her spine, leaving a kiss at the small of her back before taking hold of her hips and turning her to face him. He kissed below her navel and unbuttoned her pants, tugging them down her legs.

_Dear god_, Darcy thought, _it's just an act. It's just an act. No matter how fucking hot this is, it's just an act.._.


	9. Chapter 9

The Lewis' sailboat, _Pas De Chat_, rocked gently on the mostly still water of the Northeastern Pacific ocean. Darcy was propped on the railing, the feeling of nausea ebbing at her stomach like the water lapping the side of the boat. She was wearing jeans and a blue v-neck sweater, the strings of her bikini top poking out at the neckline. Glancing at Loki, she snickered. Before arriving at the marina, they had made a side-trip to get him sailing clothes. So there he stood, like a carbon-clothing-copy of Preston Lewis; khaki pants, a dark blue polo, and a yellow sweater with the sleeves tied around his neck. He hadn't been happy about the clothes, but Darcy's parents were awfully…persuading.

Preston and Nicola Lewis were laying out on the bow of the boat, giggling and teasing each other like highschool sweethearts. Darcy had pushed herself into one of the back corners so when she threw up it wouldn't end up on anyone. Loki strode over to her and she couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous the god looked dressed like a rich kid.

"You look like an idiot, dude."

"You know I didn't choose these…Clothes."

"You still look like an idiot."

"At least I'm not green."

"It's not my fault I get seasick!"

"Yes it is. You're just too weak for your own good." Darcy glared at him. "That's why I'm here to protect you," Loki leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Crouching to be at Darcy's eye level, he studied her face.

"How you've managed to not get sick after traveling between realms is beyond me."

"It's only on the water. I can ride rollercoasters and be just fine, car trips are nothing. But the second I'm on a ship I get sick."

"Curious."

"What about you? There's no way you can be perfect. What screws you up?"

"Pardon?"

"Y'know, your Achilles' heel, your flaw, your weakness."

"I don't have any," he blinked at her.

"Liar."

"You don't believe me?" a small smile crept at the corner of his lips.

"Not a word," Darcy leaned so close their noses were nearly touching. Loki closed the distance and rubbed his nose from side to side against Darcy's. She burst out laughing, throwing her head back and…

Throwing herself off of the boat.

Darcy had absentmindedly placed herself in front of a gate in the railing. It led down to a small platform that was normally used when the family went snorkeling or diving.

"Darcy!" Loki was on his feet when she rolled back and off of the landing, splashing into the water. Preston and Nicola ran to the back just in time to see Loki dive after her.

He plunged into the water, broke the surface and spluttered, sinking back down. Darcy, just a few feet away, waited for him to resurface but he didn't.

"Shit!" She swam down, feeling rather blindly for the god. He couldn't have sank _that_ fast. Just as she was about to run out of air, her fingers brushed across something. They curled around it and pulled as she kicked her way back to the surface. Hauling him up, by his hair, Darcy kicked back to the landing where her parents were ready to grab Loki. As Darcy climbed out, Preston and Nicola dragged the god out of the water and back to the main area of the boat.

"Loki!" Darcy yelled at his still face, slapping his cheek repeatedly. No response. "Loki!"

"Try his name, dear." Ignoring her mother, Darcy straddled Loki's waist and compressed his chest a few times before leaning down to perform mouth to mouth. It was in the middle of the second set of compressions that he finally spat out the sea water, glancing around like a frightened animal.

"Jesus, Loki. What the hell were you doing?" Darcy slapped him.

Loki blinked, "I…I thought you were in danger."

"I can swim, dum-dum. Apparently _you_ can't."

"I can too. I just…"

"Sure, buddy," Darcy stood, grabbing Loki's hand and guiding him to his feet.

"At least you're both okay," Nicola beamed. "But next time, Darcy, try using people's names. I know you like to make up nicknames, but it probably isn't a good idea when you're trying to bring someone back to consciousness."

"Yeah, 'kay mom." Her parents returned to the front of the boat.

"What did she-"

"I called you Loki."

"Right."

"Well hey, at least one good thing came from this."

"You got to have your way with me?" he smirked.

"Nope. I know your weakness."

The return trip consisted of sing alongs and another side trip to buy dry clothes for Darcy and Loki- more so an excuse for Nicola to watch Loki try on different outfits and show them off. When they finally arrived home, Darcy's parents had purchased a modest wardrobe for each of them.

"Pumpkin!" Nicola shrieked from the kitchen. Preston, Darcy and Loki had been in the living room talking about the academy awards. Nicola ran into the room, her face pale.

"What's wrong?"

"We completely forgot about the fundraiser!"

Preston leapt to his feet and the two ran off. The next few minutes consisted of Darcy's parents changing their clothes and explaining that they would be attending a presidential fundraiser and would be back late, and not to bother waiting up.

Darcy sat on the couch, still processing what had just happened.

"Your parents are ridiculous."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me clearly."

"They're not ridiculous! They're…different. And different isn't bad."

"They sing in the car, they prepare unprecedented amounts of food, and they refer to each other by useless names."

"Those are pet names, and it's adorable. You just don't get it," Darcy stood and walked toward the stairs.

"And what is it I don't get?"

Darcy wheeled around on the spot to stare at the god, "That's love, okay. My parents are completely and inescapably in love. They have something most people only dream about. But I guess a guy like you just wouldn't get that."

The human was getting dangerously close to becoming unbearably difficult again.

"A guy like me?"

"Yeah. 'You are truly beautiful, Miss Lewis.' 'That's why I'm here to protect you.' Please! I've heard better game from boards."

"Oh so this is a game to you?"

"What?"

"You think that just because poor excuses for men have bastardized the sincerity of a compliment, it's impossible for anyone to say it honestly?"

"I-"

"I knew it would be a mistake to expect a Midgardian could truly feel like that."

"Don't you dare make this sound like it's _my_ fault!"

"Oh right, so it's mine!"

"Yes it is! You think being in love is serious business? It's not! Being in love should make you feel giddy. You should look like an idiot because you go out of your way to do special things for your partner. But I guess gods wouldn't understand a concept like that. It's all brute force, lies, or ominous one-liners for you guys!"

"Don't you dare insult Asgard!"

"Why not? Oh I forgot, you're such a high and mighty being that a lowly mortal like me should be groveling at your feet, right? I should be so grateful that it was convenient for you to fuck-"

"I didn't fuck you because it was convenient!"

"Oh yeah? You're a total jerk to me and then you just do a one eighty and you totally have the hots for me? Please, I've seen more convincing acts on Sesame Street."

"What the hell is Sesame Street?"

"It's a kids' show with puppets and- That's not the point! The point is that I know you, okay?"

"You don't know a thing about me."

"Oh don't I? You're cruel, you're dishonest, you're manipulative, and you're a monster!"

Darcy's cheek stung, and she wasn't quite sure how she had gotten to the floor. When she looked up and saw Loki, frozen in his place, staring at her, she put it all together.

"Point proven." The tears stung in her eyes as she ran to her room and closed the door, sliding to the floor against it.

_Why are you crying_? she scolded herself, _You knew his plan the whole freaking time, this was going to happen sooner or later! But…but he seemed like he was…No! He slapped you! Good men don't hit women, __**ever**_!

"Darcy," his voice was barely a whisper through the wooden door. "Darcy," his voice was louder when she didn't respond. "Open the door."

Darcy glanced around. The scene seemed all too familiar- her, braced against the door in tears, Loki on the other side trying to get in. Except this time she wasn't afraid for her life, she was just…Heartbroken? No! She wasn't heartbroken. You can't be heartbroken in a situation like this. Darcy's eyes fell on a ballerina music box. It had been a gift from her mother when they moved to this house. After the invasion, her parents decided to move to a safer, more exclusive neighborhood. For the most part they had avoided showing off their money, but after Darcy's Halloween experience they tried to use it as a distraction. And it had worked, for the most part.

"Darcy," his voice was louder again, this time a normal speaking voice.

"Go away." He could hear the tears in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Darcy."

"Don't say my name," she spat through the door. "Don't you dare say my name ever again."

On the other side, Loki leaned his forehead against the door, "I'm sorry. I never meant to hit you, I swear."

"Yeah like I can believe anything from the Prince of Lies?"

He had liked that name. Until now. Before, it had been a title of recognition, of his unmatchable ability to convince. But from her lips, it sounded evil.

"I've never hit a woman before, I didn't want to. I just lost control."

"It's hard to keep control when you don't have your leash on, huh?"

"Darcy-"

"Don't say my name! Everything that comes out of your mouth is tainted."

After a while, Darcy had locked the door and lay on her bed. When the tears stopped, she fell asleep curled up with her pillows. A few hours had passed and she woke. Sitting, she glanced at the foot of her bed and saw a bouquet of roses with a card. She almost didn't touch it, for fear it was something bad, but her curiosity got the better of her and she grabbed the card.

'I'm sorry, Darcy. I swear I didn't mean to.'

The card wasn't signed, but it didn't need to be. How the hell had he gotten into her room? Oh yeah…He was a god. Did this mean he'd left? That would sure make things a lot easier for her.

Darcy climbed out of her bed and walked to the door. Unlocking and opening it, she saw Loki sleeping on the floor in front of her. It was strange to see his tall frame curled up so small. She had the overwhelming urge to both kick him and get him a blanket, and wasn't sure which one to follow.

She decided on both.

She grabbed a blanket from her closet and returned to the door and kicked Loki right in the stomach before throwing the blanket- a pink and blue sheep-patterned baby blanket- onto the Asgardian and slamming the door.

"Well then we're even." Loki was standing between Darcy and her bed.

"Excuse me?"

"I slapped you, you kicked me."

"That's not how it works."

"That's awfully sexist."

"It's not sexism, it's chivalry. I thought you Aslanians would know all about that."

"Asgardians," Loki gritted his teeth. "We are from Asgard, we are Asgardians."

"Whatever." Darcy made an attempt to walk past Loki and get to her bed, but he reached an arm out and stopped her.

"Darcy-"

"I told you-"

"-I am not a monster."

"Oh yeah? Prove it."

"I have had several opportunities to do unforgiveable things to you. I have restrained myself quite successfully until today. I apologize for that, I never intended to-"

"Save it for your campaign speeches."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sick of this stupid polite speech. You're good with words, too good. If you're gonna say something just say it and be done. Otherwise just don't talk."

"I don't know what more I can say, other than I'm sorry."

"Then I think we're done here." Loki grabbed her arm again, keeping Darcy from reaching her bed.

"For the longest time, words have been all I've had. Thor had his strength. His friends. I had my words. I'm talented at manipulating people, tricking them, I'll admit that freely. I may have used you in the past, but it was never my intention to hit you. I am truly sorry."

He looked down into her warm, brown eyes. They were slightly bloodshot and swollen, and he had done that. Her cheek bore no mark from his hand, but he could see exactly where he had hit her. He could feel his lip quiver as he thought about what he had done. Loki was many things; liar, murderer, traitor- but he had never hit a woman. It probably shouldn't be affecting him like this.

Darcy shifted, "Oh god you're not gonna cry, are you? That's so not you."

"Darcy, I…" he trailed off, remembering he wasn't supposed to say her name. But she made no effort to correct or scold him. Instead, she squeezed his hand lightly.

"You're not allowed to be like this. I can't hate you properly when you're all mopey and shit."


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm not mopey."

"Look at your face. It's covered in mope." Darcy stared at him. As much as she wanted to smack him, yell at him, kick him hard in the stomach…she couldn't. He looked like a child. His lips were pouting, he had perfect puppy-dog eyes, and his shoulders were slumped from their normally flawless posture. Before she could stop herself, she wrapped her arms around his slim waist and hugged him tightly, resting her head on his chest. She could feel his muscles tense at the contact, and it took a while before they relaxed. Loki hesitantly slid his arms around Darcy, one hand on the back of her head as his fingertips lightly stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you've mentioned that."

"Darcy…?"

"Hmm?"

"I…" For the first time in his life, the Prince of Lies was at a loss for words. The one thing he could count on his whole life to get what he wanted, and he just couldn't think or speak right now. "I'm sorry."

"You keep saying that and I'll give you a reason to be sorry," Darcy said with a smile. Loki tightened his arms around her.

"Darcy?"

"Hmm?"

"May I sleep in here tonight?" She paused, unsure of how to respond.

After a few silent moments, "Yeah." The god released her as she walked to the bed and pulled the covers aside. She climbed in and turned to see Loki removing his shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"I always sleep shirtless."

"Oh…Right. Gotcha." Loki climbed in after her, pulling the covers back up and slipping his arm around Darcy's waist.

"You're very warm."

"You've mentioned that."

"I'm sorry, it's just not what I'm used to. Asgardian women aren't this warm. Are all of you humans this hot?"

"Nope, I'm an exception. I'm hotter than Hell," Darcy chuckled.

"You know my daughter?"

"What?" Darcy rolled over to face Loki, "You have a daughter?"

"Well not just a daughter. I have sons, too."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well…what are their names?"

"My daughter is Hel, she rules the underworld, then there's Jormungand. He's known as the world serpent. And then there's Fenrir. He's a wolf."

"…The fuck?"

"What?"

"Your children are a snake, a wolf, and a dead chick?"

"Hel is not dead, she just rules the underworld. Well, technically half of her body is dead."

"So you have kids? And what, you just abandoned them?"

"They're fully grown, Darcy, it's not like I've simply left children all on their own," Loki spat. How dare she accuse him of bad parenting.

"So what do the others do? I mean, it's not like a wolf or snake can grow up to be doctors or lawyers."

"They are…well…Jormungand is in the waters of this planet-"

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, not at all. Why would I…What is kidding?"

"You're serious? There's a huge snake in the ocean?"

"Yes. Oh don't worry, he's far too large to actually do anything bad to you people. He's been growing for near a thousand years."

"Okay…And what does the wolf do?"

"He is bound on an island at the moment."

"The fuck?"

"What?"

"You just left your kid all tied up and shit on an island? That's messed up."

"Fenrir has a part to play in events to come. For the time being, he must remain bound and alone." Loki's eyes were cold and calculating as he spoke.

"So you have a plan for your kids or something? What, like the Jackson Five? That's kinda weird."

"Their purpose is much more important than…Whatever that is."

"You don't know about Michael Jackson?"

"Obviously not."

"Remind me in the morning. I'm fixing that."

"Yes, of course."

The two laid there silent for minutes as the clock ticked by.

"I still can't believe you have kids. So do you have like an ex-wife or something?"

"No, their mother was merely a mistress."

"Okay…So you're just a man whore."

"I am not a whore."

"Oh right, guys who sleep around are studs, my bad."

"Well I actually was a mare once," he reminisced briefly.

"The fuck?"

"I always forget about Sleipnir."

"Slipknot?"

"Sleipnir. She's an eight-legged horse."

"Okay you're gonna have to explain that one."

"I'm a shapeshifter. In my younger days, I was a bit…Adventurous."

"So you turned into a horse and knocked up a spider?"

"No, I turned into a mare and…I had Sleipnir."

"Did you just _have_ Slipknot or did you _get_ preggers?"

"As I said, I was a bit adventurous."

"Oh god. That's like having gay sex. No, that's past having gay sex. That's…I don't think there's even an equivalent for that."

"You humans are so closed-minded."

"Look dude, I consider myself pretty accepting but that's beastiality, that's sick!"

"I don't expect you to understand. Those were…interesting times. And I spent most of those times incredibly intoxicated."

"God that's like something you'd find on a shock site."

"It wasn't considered that outlandish at the time."

"I mean seriously, like a really sick and demented part of the internet."

"Looking back, yes I guess I regret it, but really it was a learning experience."

"I mean what kind of depraved person makes that kind of a website?"

"Darcy."

"What?"

"Let's just not think about this anymore. Agreed?"

"Definitely."

Silence filled the room once more.

"So did you like it?"

"It's done, Darcy."

"Okay."

The next morning, Darcy woke to the feeling of being in someone's arms.

_Not gonna lie, this is nice….Even if it's not real_….She rolled over, rather awkwardly, to face Loki. They were so close it was near impossible to not have their faces touching, and Darcy imagined she looked ridiculous as she craned her head back to avoid smushing it against Loki's face.

"Hey." No response. Unless you count steady breathing. "Hey." Still nothing. She nudged his leg with her foot a few times, to which Loki responded by tightening his arms around her waist. Darcy's earlier attempts to keep her face from his became futile, and the brunette found her lips pressed against the god's.

Loki then proceeded to roll over, on top of Darcy, deepening the lip contact into a passionate kiss. His hands- which had been locked around her slim middle- slid over her body as his hips pressed into hers.

_Well this isn't so bad. Looks like he's got a bit of a routine so I can just_-

Her thoughts were derailed as Loki, rather than trail kisses down her neck like he seemed to always do, sat up and yanked Darcy into his lap. Using magic, he vanished both of their clothing and Darcy's skin tingled at the contact.

"You have the sexiest bed head I have ever seen," he growled in her ear. While Darcy's brain attempted to crank out a coherent response, Loki distracted her by moving from the bed. Instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist, Darcy squealed slightly when Loki pushed her against the wall. With his body flush against hers, Darcy could feel each breath even a faint, racing heartbeat.

She released a gasp as he thrust into her, simultaneously biting her neck. It wasn't hard enough to break the skin, but there was a looming possibility of a bruise she would rather not explain to her parents.

"That's a hell of a way to say good morning," Darcy breathed an hour later.

"I like to be creative," Loki smirked, lying next to her on the bed.

"Clearly. I mean…_Clearly_."

"Knock knock!"

"Shit, MOM!" Darcy yanked the blanket over her body…right off of Loki's. Nicola Lewis froze in the doorway to Darcy's room, staring at the naked god.

"Oh…Darce…"

"Mom, staring. Rude."

"Right, sweetie, very rude." Her eyes never left his body, and Loki made no attempt to cover himself. Darcy pushed part of the blanket over Loki's hips, which seemed to break her mother's moment.

"You back yet?"

"Sweetie," she cleared her throat, "Yes, brunch. Down…Downstairs," her eyes wandered back to Loki's hips, and the god merely smirked, lacing his fingers behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.

Nicola walked out backwards, awkwardly closing the door.

"Oh my god."

"Yes?"

"This is not the time, Loki. My mother just saw you _naked_."

"Many people have seen me naked. It's not a sight that should be denied to people," he raised an eyebrow at Darcy.

"God you're conceited."

"Clearly. What, are you saying you wouldn't stare at my unclothed body?"

"I…How dare…I have never…Not _once_, stared at you naked!"

"Give it time, Darcy."

AN: Don't forget to review! Love you all!


	11. Chapter 11

"So, Darcy, I see you and Luke got off to an early morning." Nicola took a sip of espresso as she sat perched at the edge of her chair. The breakfast table was covered in its customary spread of toasts, pancakes, breakfast casseroles and fruit salads. Preston was reading the newspaper, scanning the business section. Darcy choked on her scrambled eggs and Loki glanced at her as he nibbled on a piece of pineapple.

"I guess…you could say that."

"Well you know what they say, the early bird catches the worm," Preston flipped the page and both Darcy and Nicola choked on their drinks.

"Dad!"

"What, honey? It's good to have a to-do list."

"Oh and she was doing that list."

"Mom!"

"Just saying."

"So what do you and Mister Lewis have planned for the day?" Loki inquired.

"Oh, well I have a Women's Social meeting. I was thinking maybe Darcy would like to join me?"

"Pass."

"Are you sure? It's cake week, so everyone's bringing a different cake."

"I'm sure. The cake is tempting, but I can't stand those flipping socialites."

"You could always join me at work, pumpkin."

"You still work?"

"If you call meeting his friends at the country club 'work'."

"Yeah I'll pass on that too. Golf isn't my scene."

"So what shall we do today, Darcy?" Loki glanced at her over the brim of his coffee mug.

"Well…I don't know. It's been a while since I've been up here, I don't even remember what all there is to do in town."

"Well you two could always go shopping," Nicola shrugged.

"I don't really need anything, though."

"Well Luke could use some more clothes, don't you think?" Preston glanced up from the newspaper.

"Mm, maybe. Maybe not," Nicola eyed Loki's body from shoulders to pelvis, her eyes lingering just a bit too long on his hips.

"I've got an idea!" Preston held his coffee mug as if he was giving a toast, "Darcy goes with you," he gestured at Nicola, "And Luke comes with me. What do you say?"

"I don't know if that's-"

"I think that's a fantastic idea! Darcy, you'll love cake day."

"But Luke doesn't know how to golf-"

"The boys and I can teach him! Come on, it'll be a bonding thing. You haven't spent time with your mom in so long and I'd like to get to know Luke a bit better." Darcy's father was smiling so wide at her that she couldn't argue.

"Okay…" While Darcy slouched in her seat, Loki retained his impeccable posture.

"I can't wait," he smiled.

"Now the golf swing is a very particular little lady," Preston lectured as he strode across the emerald grass, hands on his hips. Loki walked a few steps behind him, looking like a male model in his khaki slacks, pink polo and yellow sweater vest.

"If your form isn't right, you can not only hit the ball way off course- no pun intended- but you can injure your back pretty easily."

"I see," Loki nodded, feigning interest.

"We'll start you off easy," Preston pulled a club from the bag, waving the caddy back as he set the ball in its place atop the tee. "You want a pretty wide stance, about the width of your shoulders. You've got pretty broad shoulders so you'll have a nice, solid stance," he glanced up, "Are you right handed or left handed?"

"Right handed."

"Right, so you'll want your right hand below your left. Pull back, shift your weight onto the right leg, and swing!" The ball soared through the air, nearly out of sight as it bounced onto the green. "And don't forget the follow through."

"Gorgeous shot, Mister Lewis," the caddy clapped.

"Shut it, Stephen. I'm not letting you date my daughter." The caddy's arms fell to his sides and his smile faded. "Your turn, Luke."

Loki pulled a club from the bag and set his ball and tee right where Preston's had been.

"Don't forget the follow through. It's a very important part." Loki took his stance, shifting his feet like Preston had done moments earlier. He took a slow breath, pulled the club back, swung, and followed through, squinting his eyes to see where the ball landed.

Only it hadn't landed on the green.

It hadn't even left the tee.

"That's fine, that's okay," Preston stepped forward as Loki stared, his mouth hanging just barely open as he stared at the ball. "It takes a bit of getting used to. Why don't you try again?"

Loki repeated his actions, but received the same outcome. There were now two patches of dirt on either side of the golf ball. They were like dark eyes smirking up at him. Loki huffed and tried again. He only managed to make one of the patched even deeper.

"You dare defy me?" Loki growled at the ball. He dropped to his hands and knees, his nose almost touching the ground as he muttered threats and insults at the inanimate object.

"Luke, it's okay if it takes a while to warm up. Most people take a while to hit the ball." Loki turned his icy blue eyes on Preston.

"This game is unfit for my attentions."

Preston chuckled, "Calm down, chief." He pulled Loki to his feet. "Why don't you try it again?" The Asgardian huffed, straightening his shirt and vest, but attempted the swing once more.

And this time he hit it!

Well, grazed it.

The ball did fly forward, about thirty feet. Loki smirked widely, his eyes shining with his achievement.

"Good job! See, it's not so bad."

The laughter of rich housewives floated through the buttercream frosted air, strangling Darcy as she sat on an overstuffed chaise. She was dressed like her mother; floral printed skirt, short-sleeved button up shirt, and a brown waist belt. Her hair fell in large, soft curls, almost completely obscuring her pearl earrings.

"So then I said, 'Harvey, we simply can't let the senator sit _there_!'," Misses Watson, the wife of a retired joint chief, recounted one of her five party stories. Darcy rolled her eyes.

"Oh Helen, you're simply too much!" Gloria Hazeldine-Trenton, the wife of Blaine Trenton, laughed with an obnoxious tone. The whole room laughed, eventually dying down to half-hearted sighs and chuckles.

"So Darcy," Nicola began, "What's Luke like in bed?"

"Mom!" The room tittered with excitement.

"What' this?" Helen Watson straightened her back, leaning forward.

"Darcy has a new lover. And it seems to be pretty serious," Nicola boasted.

"Mom that is totally inappropriate! And that's not even the case!"

"Oh so you two were just lying naked on your bed, chests heaving for breath out of boredom?"

"Mother!"

"My word," Gloria's hand flew to her chest, "What does this young man look like?"

Nicola pulled her phone from her purse, "This would be the culprit." The women in the room giggled with excitement as their eyes raped the picture of Loki. It had been taken the day they went sailing, while his wet clothes were clinging to his toned body.

"Where did you meet him?"

"Puente Antiguo. Jesus Christ, you're grown ladies! Stop drooling over him like he's Swiss chocolate!" Darcy snatched the phone from her mother, sitting on it.

"Darcy, that is so immature."

"Oh _I'm_ immature?"

"So how is he in bed?" Gloria propped her elbows on her knees.

"Excuse me?"

"How is he?"

"I imagine he's quite good if he gets in your pants in your parents' house."

"So how big is he?"

"I swear by the shores of Asgard you will yield!" Loki screamed. Fifteen feet away, Preston and Stephen the caddy watched as sand erupted into the air.

"It's like a volcano," Preston breathed.

"I've heard of game rage, sir, but this is ridiculous. Where the hell is this guy from?"

"England. Must be pent up aggression. I can't imagine those guys are actually happy about having to drink tea every day."

Loki slashed at the sand with his club, spraying it in all directions. The ball sat, untouched. With a deep yell, he blasted the ball with magic. It flew into the air, sailing toward the green. Preston's eyebrows climbed up his forehead as the ball landed, bounced a few times, then rolled smoothly into the hole.

"Well done, Luke! See? It gets easier!" Preston beamed. Loki emerged from the sand trap, his traditionally perfect hair mussed from his aggressive actions. His eyes were wild, his muscles tensed as he stalked forward like a feral beast.

"This game," he growled, "is an abomination."

"Oh it's not that bad," Preston chuckled. "I mean, if you don't count the sand volcano, you were only five over par!"

"You, sir, are far too optimistic with this demon of a game."

"I've been playing for a while, chief, I'm just used to it. Come on, next hole."

"Next?"

"Yep." Preston and Stephen walked toward the golf cart as Loki stood frozen.

"What do you mean 'next'?"

"There are eighteen holes in a game of golf," he glanced over his shoulder. Loki's eyes darkened.

"This…Will not be forgotten."

"That is way too personal!" Darcy shrieked.

"Just answer the question!"

"You don't need to know how far his tongue can reach!"

"Oh yes we do, young lady," Yvonne rested her hands on her hips.

"That is a very personal part of me, it's not like I have measurements written there," she tried to back away from the older women, who swarmed around her like fish waiting for flakes.

"So you _have_ done oral?"

"Mom!"

"So is he good at it?" Helen perked her shoulders up to her ears, eagerly awaiting a response.

"Excuse me?"

"Is he good at it? Does he just twirl his tongue like a helicopter or does he do different patterns to keep it interesting?"

"You ladies are sick! No, you're not even ladies, because ladies don't ask questions like this!"

"Oh Darcy, don't be such a prude."

"Honestly, just pretend we're your diary. Your dirty little secret diary."

"I barely know you people, I'm not talking about my sex life."

"So is he creative?"

"What?"

"Well does he have a routine for foreplay and all that or does he change it up?"

"I don't think that-"

"I'll bet he likes to take a woman from behind," Gloria mused.

"We haven't done it like that!"

"So what positions have you tried?"

"God you people are way too curious about this."

"What's his favorite position?"

"Have you guys tried anything kinky?"

"I don't know, he doesn't look like he'd be that adventurous, Yvonne."

"Well you know, it's always the quiet ones that are the freakiest."

"Have you two done it anywhere exciting? Like in public?"

"Public? God no! Unless you count a secluded mountainside-"

"Aha!"

"Oh my god, stop it!" Darcy shrieked. "You're gross, all of you!"

"Calm down, Darcy, it's just sex. You're a grown woman and so are we, we're just curious."

By the fifth hole, Loki had broken three clubs- two of them had been broken on the same tree when he hit a ball into the woods. Preston had offered to let him roll the ball to the tree line to get a clear shot at the green, but Loki yelled at him in ancient Norse. Something about shoving a goat into an orifice that was not meant to take something of that size.

"Y'know, we can quit now if you want," Preston offered as Loki attempted to hammer his golf ball into the grass.

"I will conquer this game, Preston Lewis, mark my words!" Loki continued to hit the ground with such force that it threatened to bend or break the club.

"Darcy must be into the alpha males," Preston remarked to Stephen. Loki released a roar as he hit the golf ball and it flew toward the green.

"Mister Lewis, I'm scared."

"Me too, Stephen, me too."

"Seriously?" the ladies blinked at Darcy.

"Wow," Yvonne gasped, "That _is_ creative."

"I know, right? I mean, who would have thought of that?"

"I guess what they say about European men being better lovers is true."

"Yeah," Darcy blinked. "European."

"I'm just surprised it was anatomically _possible_," Helen breathed.

"Oh it was. And it was fantastic."

"I can imagine."

"Do you think you could draw out exactly how he did it? I think Reggie and I should try that."

"Okay now that is just gross, I'm not drawing that!"

"Now you're just being selfish."

"You could at least make a sex tape," Yvonne suggested.

"Excuse me?"

"A sex tape." A litany of 'Oh's and 'Yes's followed.

"I am not making a sex tape," Darcy crossed her arms.

"Just think of it as a memento. So you'll never forget Luke or his…Fantastic skills."

"Or I could just marry him and keep the fantastic skills forever."

"Darcy!" Nicola bounced with excitement, "Are you serious? Are you two that serious? Oh god I've waited for this day for so long!"

"I'm only twenty-two, mom!"

"Well yes, but you've dated some real winners in the past. Remember Jeremy? Oh I hoped so badly that you two would tie the knot."

"I dated him in high school."

"Yes but he was such a sweetheart."

"We were fifteen and we dated for four months, that's hardly marriage material."

"But he came from such a good family, and you got along so well."

"He dumped me through a text five minutes before he changed his relationship status to dating Marissa Fellop."

"Well still…"

"But you and Luke are serious?" Gloria chirped.

"Imagine being married to that," Yvonne closed her eyes. "Mm, having that tight, toned body every night. That'll keep you fit."

AN: Hope you liked the chapter! I figured I'd try something different where Darcy and Loki spent more time apart. I also thought it would be fun to put them in some ridiculous situations, like Darcy being interrogated by a bunch of rich cougars and Loki being at war with a game. Read and review!


	12. Chapter 12

Preston, Nicola, Darcy and Loki all arrived home at the same time. They walked into the entryway together sharing awkward glances and tense 'hello's'. After a minute of even more strenuous pleasantries, they parted ways- each citing a different need to be alone. Nicola went to the kitchen, Preston to his study, Darcy to her room, and Loki to the guest room.

The god closed the door behind him and lay down on the bed, wincing at a few bruises where the ball had- not once, not twice, but _three_ times- ricocheted off of trees, the golf cart, and even Stephen, and hit Loki twice on his back and once in his stomach. Loki was not used to pain. He had lived a considerably sheltered life, opting to practice magic rather than combat. And when combat training was unavoidable, he had chosen ranged weapons such as throwing knives, though after a while it became impossible to avoid learning sword and spear techniques. But even in training, Loki was menacing enough to the squires that they would rather take a blade than hurt him enough to incur his wrath. In his fight with Thor, it had been mostly sheer rage and stubbornness that drove him past each blow he received.

"Aren't you a sore sight?" his own voice mocked him from across the room.

"Shut up," the Loki on the bed threw a pillow at his clone, who fizzled at the point of impact as the pillow sailed through the mirage and thudded to the wall, then to the floor.

"I do what I want."

"Then you need to want to go away."

"You know it's been ages since you've done this."

"Done what? Been sore or received a bruise?"

"No, created a clone on accident. How long's it been? Two hundred years? Nice to see you haven't been able to keep yourself in check." Loki had a flash of understanding, realizing that this was what he put Darcy through on a daily basis, but he shrugged it out of his mind.

"Just leave me, please, I need to recover."

"You truly are weaker than him, aren't you?"

"Our strengths lie in different planes," the original god of mischief hissed, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Oh of _course_, your dischordianship."

"That's not even a word."

"It is now."

"You're the only person that's ever going to use it."

"I've always been one of a kind."

"That's a lie," Loki scoffed at his doppleganger.

"No it isn't. I'm the only clone that's ever been made on accident. That's unique."

"It's pathetic, that's what it is."

"So," the clone paced at the foot of the bed, "When are we going to make the betrothal official?"

"Betrothal?"

"To Miss Lewis. Obviously we care for her."

"You're completely insane if you think I could possibly fall for that thing."

"Oh am I? I'm the one who jumped into water to save her even though we both know you can't swim? Seems rather foolish for someone who isn't blinded by love."

"It doesn't suit me to have her die yet."

"And I'm the one who repeatedly finds my way into her bed, even though one time did the trick well enough?"

"I do what I want."

"And apparently _whom_ you want." Loki glared at his clone. How dare a mere copy question the mastermind? Their green eyes remained locked for several long moments before a small knock on the door broke their concentration.

"Who is it?"

"It's me." Loki vanished his clone and sat up.

"Come in." The door opened and Darcy slipped into the room, shutting it quietly behind her.

"Hey."

"Hello."

"So uh…How was golf?"

"That game is a monstrosity that should be abolished in the harshest sense!"

"So you sucked at it?" she smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I did not 'suck' at it. I commanded it with the skill and expertise that only an Asgardian could wield." He crossed his arms.

"Dude you totally sucked at it." A glint flashed through Loki's emerald eyes. He stood, sauntering over to the mortal. His face was devious as he circled her, causing the breath to hitch in her throat when his head dipped toward hers, his lips just too far away for contact.

"Darcy, my dear," he purred, "You're wearing far too much clothing." His hands reached to the buttons on her blouse, undoing the first one and trailing lazily to the next. Taking his sweet time, Loki attended to the buttons all the way to the top of her skirt, and slowly tugged at the white fabric. It pulled free, revealing the last few buttons which he trailed his fingers around in figure eights. Darcy grabbed her shirt and began to unbutton it, which displeased Loki greatly. He growled at her and pulled her hands away, holding them at her sides.

"Don't. Move." He set back to his task, moving his attention to Darcy's waist belt. Slowly, he unfastened the buckle and slid it down over her hips, guiding it down her thighs, to her knees, to her calves, and to the floor. The god now knelt before Darcy, reaching around at a snail's pace to find the button and zipper of her skirt. At the same excruciatingly slow speed, he unbuttoned it and tugged lightly at the zipper. He loosened the skirt just enough to slide it down her lower body, guiding it with frustratingly devout attention on its path to the floor. Loki returned his attention to Darcy's blouse, which still had a few buttons fastened. His fingers trailed up her skin- feather-light and tickling- before they pulled the buttons through the holes and reached up to Darcy's shoulders, sliding the blouse down to the floor. The god was now on his feet, circling the mortal once again. Once behind her, Loki brushed Darcy's long brown hair away from her left shoulder. His lips were so close Darcy could feel his breath- it was hot and practically burned as her skin tingled, waiting for some form of contact.

She couldn't take it anymore. She turned, reaching toward Loki's neck to pull him into a kiss but the god was too quick. He grabbed her wrists, firmly yet not painfully, and held her at bay.

"Don't. Move." Loki turned her around, put her arms at her sides, and took a step back. Unable to see him, Darcy's stomach flipped as she waited for his next move.

The god, after waiting several long moments, continued on his intended path. He trailed his fingertips along the borders of Darcy's bra straps, his touch once again so light it was barely there. The mortal's skin tingled everywhere he caressed, fighting the urge to turn around and jump on him. Loki's hands finally found Darcy's bra and unfastened it- though Loki had to momentarily stop time to figure the contraption out. As he had done with the previous garments, the Asgardian slid the bra off of Darcy at a torturously slow pace, finally dropping it to the floor and circling around to face the brunette. He knelt once more, his lips placing a soft kiss on her left hip, just above her panties.

Loki slid Darcy's pink boyshorts down her thighs- much like her skirt- to her knees, to her calves, and to the floor. Darcy took that as a cue to participate, and went to kneel with Loki and kiss him fiercely, but the god held her before she could bend her knees more than an inch.

"I said don't. Move." Darcy froze. Loki smirked at her obedience- a drastic change from her usual demeanor- and trailed his fingertips up the outsides of her thighs. He rose to look directly into Darcy's eyes, lifting her quite effortlessly off of her feet and spinning to set her on the bed, looming over the mortal.

"Screw it, Loki, I'm moving."

It was well after dinner when Darcy emerged from Loki's room, dressed in a pair of the pajamas her parents had bought the god. They were baggy on her slim frame, and the pants were at least five inches too long, but the emerald green pj's were better than redressing in her blouse and skirt. Darcy could slip out of these clothes much easier, should the need arise.

Loki followed Darcy down the stairs to the empty kitchen in search of food. Though he'd never been much of an eater, he was quite famished. The two opened the fridge, peering inside at all the different options.

"How about roast?" Darcy suggested.

"No."

"Meatloaf?"

"No."

"Porkchops?"

"No."

"Lasagna!"

"Definitely not."

"What? Why?"

"I'm not even going to think about ingesting something that sounds like it originates in the human body."

"What are you talking about? Lasagna. Lasagna…La…I guess you're right. How about rice pudding?"

"You're joking, surely."

"I like rice pudding."

"You have tastes as refined as a tree branch."

"Well then it's a very manicured tree."

"For the love of…You must have something decent, like something your mother has prepared for breakfast."

"We could make French toast. Or omelets."

"What is an omelet?"

"Y'know those half-moon egg thingies? Those."

"I do like those."

"I know you do, that's why I suggested it."

"What are those wiggly strips things your mother always makes?"

"Wiggly strips?"

"Yes. They're kind of brown, but kind of red, but also kind of white."

"Are you talking Atlantean?"

"One, I'm from Asgard, two, we all speak English and that's what I'm speaking now."

"Wiggly, tri-colored strips? Are you talking about the French in a war or something?"

"No they're wiggly strips with up to three colors, often quite greasy and completely satisfactory to the pallet."

"…You mean bacon?"

"Bacon? Yes…Bacon."

"Well yeah, we could make that. Sure." Darcy bent down and pulled a package of bacon from the refrigerator's bottom drawer. She carried it to the microwave, followed closely by Loki, and reached for a knife. The god instinctively stepped back.

"Chill, dude. I need it for the bacon. What, you think I'm gonna kill you?"

"Nonsense. You're far too frail to do any real damage," he crossed his arms, leaning back on the island's marble counter top. Darcy turned on her heel, still holding the knife.

"Say that again?" Loki brushed off the comment.

"When will the bacon be prepared?"

"You're gonna help me if you want to eat any of this."

"You expect me to cook? That's far too below my station, Darcy."

"Oh but it's not below mine or my mom's?"

"What I mean is I'm a prince. And you're-"

"Buddy you better stop while you're ahead." Darcy gripped the knife tighter, not even realizing she was still holding it.

"I'm just trying to say that I have been raised in a higher standard of living and am not accustomed to preparing my own food-"

"Oh what so living in a mansion with anything I could want isn't a high standard of living?"

"When we had our first encounter, you were in a tiny apartment."

"Y'know what? You can cook your own goddamn bacon you self-absorbed jerk!" Darcy stormed past the god, nearly tripping over the legs of the pajama pants. It detracted from the dramatic exit, but she had gotten her point across.

Upstairs, she slammed her door and flopped onto her bed, lying on her stomach. "Asshole…"

In the kitchen, Loki stared longingly from the bacon to the ceiling, back and forth several times trying to decide which was more important…

"Darcy?" No response. "Darcy?" his voice was louder, but he received the same lack of response. Loki did the only logical thing he could do.

He shape-shifted into a cat.

Jumping onto Darcy's bed, he walked up her body from her feet to her shoulders, sitting and staring at the mess of hair. He pawed, lightly at first, then increasingly more forceful as she continued to ignore him. Realizing his efforts would get him nowhere, Loki moved to sit next to her face and began pawing at her nose.

"Darcy. _Darcy_." Her breathing became heavier, more strained. Loki grinned as his efforts were finally getting to her. Any moment now and she would wake up and forgive him. Maybe even scratch that spot just above the tail- stop it! It was always a challenge, taking an animal form. Thoughts began to shift as well if Loki didn't remain perfectly concentrated. The god-cat continued to paw at Darcy's face and her breathing grew more ragged, even wheezy. When would she just give up and give him attention? A few more paws to the face, and Darcy's eyes opened. They were wide, frightened. Surely a cat wasn't that scary. Darcy threw herself away from Loki, scrambling toward her bedroom door.

"Oh please, Darcy, you're being melodramatic."

She collapsed to the floor, knocking over a lamp which shattered. The door flew open and Darcy's parents stared, horrified, at their daughter.

"Preston get the car!"


	13. Chapter 13

The next hour had been the most terrifying part of Loki's life. Darcy was barely conscious as Nicola half-carried her downstairs while Preston started the car. They had noticed Loki in cat form, but were too concerned with their daughter to bother with him. The second Darcy's room was empty, Loki shifted back to his body and teleported to the kitchen, catching Preston as he ran to the garage. Mister Lewis rambled off an explanation, not stopping for a second. Loki ran up the stairs, swept Darcy's small body out of Nicola's arms and carried her to the car. He and Nicola rode in the back while Preston pushed 90 through the neighborhood and the scenic streets.

They arrived at the hospital and Loki was out of the car in a heartbeat, carrying Darcy and practically running.

"We need help!"

"Okay sir, calm down, what's wrong?"

"She's having an allergic reaction," Nicola cut in, her voice nearing hysterics as she watched her daughter struggling for breath, eyes barely open. Loki's own eyes were wide, fearful even as he stared down at the woman in his arms. The nurse behind the desk wasted no time in calling over a doctor who, after Loki refused to let go of Darcy, led them to a room where she could lay down. The doctor, an attractive man named Donald Blake, pulled an EPI pen from a nearby supply closet and jabbed it into Darcy's leg. A few nurses came in, ushering Loki and Darcy's parents out of the room while they checked her vitals and filled out paperwork. Though he couldn't enter the room, Loki remained at the window, watching and pacing. While Preston filled out paperwork for the nurse at the desk, Nicola walked over to Loki.

"She hasn't had a reaction this bad since she was in middle school. I didn't think it was going to be a problem anymore. And she hasn't visited in so long we haven't bothered keeping an EPI pen for her." The blond woman was on the verge of tears as she spoke. "And she _knows_ how allergic she is. Why…Why would she bring a cat in the house, much less in her room?"

Loki swallowed.

"Oh god…I just hope she gets out of this okay." Nicola buried her face in her hands and turned into Loki. He had no idea what to do. No one came to him for comfort- except sometimes Thor, in which case it was always a mistake as Loki constantly took advantage of his brother's naivety. Hesitantly, Loki raised his hand to pat Nicola's back.

An hour later, Darcy was peacefully asleep in her hospital bed. Nicola and Preston had- quite unhappily- left her bedside to attend to an urgent matter involving an associate, leaving Loki alone with the sleeping mortal. He was lounging in the chair, surrounded by cups of coffee brought to him by blushing and giggling nurse's aides, his green eyes studying Darcy's face intently. Her skin had mostly returned to its normal pale hue, only bearing a light blush across each cheek- rather attractive, though Loki would never think that. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, reassuring to the god who could still see her uneven breaths as her throat had swollen on the inside. Darcy's dark hair was splayed out on the pillows. If Loki hadn't been watching constantly, one would have sworn that her hair had been arranged by someone to make her look angelic and peaceful.

"She looks like Snow White, doesn't she?"

"Pardon?" Loki glanced up to see a young nurse standing in the doorway.

"Snow White. The fairytale princess? She's always been my favorite," the girl chuckled, clutching a clipboard to her chest. Her eyes traveled from Darcy to Loki and the several cups of coffee on the table next to him. "I see you've met most of the staff," her eyebrow quirked up.

"They're quite accommodating."

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes. "Um, anyway, it's late and doctor Blake wants to keep her for observation. So you can either head home or spend the night. I can bring in a cot or something."

"Darcy's parents asked me to stay with her, so I shall. I'll be fine like this."

"Gotcha gotcha. Well, if you need anything, I'm Kyla. I'll be at the desk all night so…yeah, if you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you." Kyla left, closing the door and sealing Loki in silence once more.

"You know she really does look like Snow White," Loki's clone spoke from the foot of the bed.

"Not you again."

"Lovely to see you too."

"What do you mean, anyway?"

"Snow White. Darcy looks like her right now. The pale skin, red lips, dark hair. Though Snow White's hair is black."

"How do we even know who Snow White is?"

"We know pretty much everything." Loki tilted his head, acknowledging the fact. "It's rather funny though."

"What is?"

"Well in Snow White, the princess dies from eating an apple. In some versions it's poisoned, in some versions she just chokes. But then she comes back to life when prince charming kisses her."

"I'm no prince charming."

"But of course you are, my Silvertongue. You're quite possibly the most charming being in existence."

"Shut up."

"I do what I want."

"You say that too often."

"Catchphrases are meant to be used frequently. That's what makes them catchphrases."

"Why are you here?"

"You've lost control again. Remember the spell you used to unlock your doppelgangers?" Loki slouched into his chair, trying to ignore his clone. "Well I remember it. The spell said that in order to master the creation of copies, one had to be separated into two parts- the logic," he indicated Loki, "and the instinct," he indicated himself.

"You are hardly my instinct."

"Oh I beg to differ. Remember, the spell said that the logic would have to maintain control or the parts would be separated. You lost control, and I appeared. You do the math."

"I do what I want."

"Ah! See? It's fun, isn't it?" Loki ignored his 'instinct'. "Fine, don't respond. Silent treatment, hmm?" Loki shot a glare at his clone, but snapped his eyes to Darcy when she stirred.

"Darcy?" he brushed a lock of hair away from her face, leaning forward until he was just a foot from her.

"Loki? What happened?" The god swallowed, praying that his words would not fail him this time.

"You…You had an allergic reaction. After the fight, I went to your bedroom to talk but you were asleep. So I shape-shifted into a cat and tried to wake you. I didn't know you were allergic," he added hastily as Darcy visibly recoiled from him.

"You nearly killed me you tool!" she threw a pillow at the Asgardian. "What the hell is that?"

"What?"

"The other you. Right there. What is that?" Loki glanced over to see that his clone was still present.

"Damn."

"What the hell is that?"

"That's a clone. It's nothing."

"A clone?"

"Yes don't concern yourself with it."

"You can make copies of yourself."

"Yes it's not that difficult-"

"So there can be more than one of you?"

"Well yes, obviously. Don't worry about-"

"Oh whoa…" Darcy's voice trailed to silence as her eyes glazed slightly.

"Darcy?"

"Sorry, spaced out a bit. What did you say?"

"Don't worry about the-"

"She was clearly visualizing the three of us in a sexual encounter," the clone interjected.

"Would you please shut- what?"

"Didn't you see how her eyes changed? Obviously clouded with lust."

"That is such a lie!" Darcy pulled the hospital blanket over her chest.

"Your lady boner is visible, do you need a moment to collect yourself?"

"Honestly!" Loki cried, "That is not appropriate in…What is a-"

"We are so not talking about this!" Darcy screamed.

"Is everything alright?" Kyla poked her head into the room. "Oh. You have a brother? I didn't even see him come in, jeez I must be more tired than I thought."

"He's not my brother, he's my-"

"His twin. They're twins."

"Could you please excuse us? We're in a rather important discussion," the clone smiled at Kyla.

"Oh, sure, yeah. Call if you need anything. Okay. Bye." As the door closed, the three glanced back at each other. Darcy was the first to speak.

"What were we talking about?"

"Lady boners," the clone shrugged.

"That is so not appropriate!" Darcy shrieked. "Why did he say that? You would never say that!" she turned to Loki.

"Don't ask me, he does what he wants." The clone beamed.

"So…There are two Loki's that can act independently?"

"Darcy please, your arousal is ridiculously obvious," the clone rolled his eyes, though his smile betrayed how much he enjoyed knowing the mortal wanted him- and the original- so badly.

"Don't bother fantasizing about that," Loki growled, "He can't actually touch anything. He's just an image." Darcy's face fell slightly, illustrating her disappointment flawlessly.

"For now," the clone winked at the human. "I may or may not be on the verge of a discovery that could or could not change the world as we all seem to know it."

"Just shut up," Loki threw a pillow- the one Darcy had thrown at him- through the copy. Darcy's shoulders slumped even more when she saw that the clone was, in fact, just an illusion, and not tangible.

"Well I think I've done enough for the evening. I'll be retiring. If you need me, you need only-"

"Enough," glaring green eyes met smiling green eyes.

"Come now, don't be cross. Give us a kiss." Loki's glare remained, and the clone relented. "Until he loses self-control again, Miss Lewis." He winked, and vanished.

"Okay now what the hell was that?" Darcy asked.

"We've been over this-"

"No what did he mean, about you losing self-control?"

"It's nothing, just rubbish. He's an obnoxious fraction of myself-"

"Fraction? Only if the fraction is three fourths," Darcy laughed.

"Forget it." Loki leaned back in his chair, bristling. He propped one elbow on the arm rest and pressed the fingers to his lips, falling into thought.

"Oh come on, don't be such a chick." No response. "Loki, seriously." Still no response. Darcy could tell that she was getting nowhere, and decided to change tactics. She slipped her legs over the edge of the bed, stepping onto the cold tiles. "Loki," she purred as she slid onto the god's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning close, "I'm sorry."

The trickster was taken aback by Darcy's actions. Since they had first slept together, her attitude hadn't changed much, much less led to her _apologizing_ for anything, even if she really _should_ have apologized. He was so surprised, he couldn't think of anything to say, and just stared at the brunette as she cuddled into him, her forehead resting against his neck. She was quite small compared to him, and the Asgardian mused that to anyone watching it might even look like a child sitting on a parent's lap. If they didn't notice Darcy's face or curves, that is. Not that her face and curves were really worth looking at. Darcy pulled her bare feet off of the tile floor, cuddling into the god's lean body even more.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"Darcy…" His voice was a whisper, though he had fully intended to speak at a normal volume. He cleared his throat, making another attempt, "Being so repentant doesn't suit you."


	14. Chapter 14

Loki and Darcy had sat there for hours, and the human eventually fell asleep on the god's lap. Her breathing was deep and steady, and Loki could feel her heartbeat in his own chest. He glanced down at her pale skin, dark hair, and pink lips. Truth be told she had many of the aesthetic qualities the women of Asgard had. Except the frame- where Asgardian women were taller and curvaceous, Darcy was small in stature and her curves were very gradual. Well, she was rather well-endowed for her size, though she often wore enough layers to hide her chest quite well.

The god brushed his fingertips across Darcy's cheek, his lips parting slightly as he felt her velvety skin. The mortal snuggled closer, moaning lightly in her sleep, and Loki wrapped an arm around her back. He rested his chin on top of her head, staring at the wall. In the stillness and quiet of the room, Loki could feel his heartbeat trying to synch up with the woman in his arms. But the rhythm evaded him, and his pulse both raced and slowed. Loki half expected a clone to appear and say something inappropriate, but the silence remained unbroken.

"Not the barbecue sauce." Loki glanced down at Darcy, who seemed to be mumbling in her sleep. "Barbecue sauce doesn't go in cupcakes." The god chuckled lightly, stroking his fingers up and down Darcy's back. Her body was unusually warm, and he found it soothing to have her nestled against him. After half an hour sitting with Darcy curled up in his lap, the Asgardian fell asleep. It wasn't until the sun was up and the Lewis' were bringing in breakfast that the two woke.

"Darcy, babe, how are you doing?" Nicola's voice was the first one they heard, waking together. They blinked a few times before realizing where they were and who was on whose lap and each scrambled apart.

"I'm good, mom. Super chill."

"God we were so worried," both Preston and Nicola embraced Darcy, eliciting a choking noise from the brunette. "Sorry, you've probably had enough trouble breathing for a while."

"Yeah, just a bit. Hey listen mom, dad, I know the timing kinda sucks but…Luke and I have to get back to New Mexico. Jane's gonna be getting back soon and we should be there. Right?"

Almost missing Darcy's cue, Loki straightened in his chair and tilted his chin up toward the Lewis', smiling, "Yes, of course."

"Are you…Are you sure? Because you know we don't mind having you here, we love it! We almost never see you anymore!"

"I know mom, but I really need to be getting back. I don't want Jane to worry, and she's gonna be getting back to the lab any day now, so…"

"We understand," Preston put his arms around his wife's shoulders and giving a soft squeeze. "Just as long as you're feeling better."

"I am. Thank you. So uh…I'm gonna change out of this hospital smock and we're gonna go." Darcy's parents fought to keep the disappointment from their faces by nodding, hugging their daughter again and turning to leave.

"We'll send the clothes we bought you to Peunte Antiguo."

"Thanks mom."

The door shut, and there was a moment of silence.

"Well that wasn't very nice of you."

"Oh shut it, Loki."

"Well it wasn't. They clearly want you to stay, and you weren't very cordial to them."

"Okay listen- I love my parents. I do. But I can't stay here if I'm lying to them."

"What are you lying about?"

"You, me, all of…Whatever this is," Darcy waved her arms about.

"What do you mean 'whatever this is'?"

"Seriously?" Darcy didn't bother explaining what she meant. She chose instead to change from her hospital clothes to the jeans and sweater her parents must have brought some time while she was asleep.

"What do you mean?"

"Forget it, Loki. I just don't want to be lying to them about you I mean, you seriously think they don't suspect there's something off about you?"

"Of course. I'm an expert at lying."

"You got that right," Darcy muttered, pulling her sweater over her head, chest and stomach. She ignored Loki's mouth opening to inquire what she had meant _this_ time and left the room, the god trailing behind her. Now that they were in front of others, Loki kept his mouth shut as Darcy signed a few forms and checked herself out. Once she was finished she led him out of the hospital and into one of the parking garages.

"Alright, teleport us back to Puente Antiguo."

"Why should I?"

"Because I said so. I already told my parents that we were leaving, so we can't stay here."

"We could just go somewhere else."

"What, are you scared that a big blue guy is gonna be waiting for you?" Loki's eyes narrowed and he pulled Darcy roughly against him, transporting to New Mexico…

Upon arrival, Darcy nearly fell over. Something about teleportation made her dizzy. She looked around to ensure that they were in fact in Puente Antiguo and, feeling satisfied when she saw the newly remodeled diner and the street signs, relaxed and stepped away from Loki.

"Good. Okay."

"So what exactly are we to do here?"

"I don't know about you but I'm sleeping in my own be-"

"Darcy!" Jane's voice was like a smack in the back of the head. Darcy turned to see the petite physicist power-walking toward her and Loki.

"Jane, 'sup?"

"'Sup?' I have been calling you and texting you nonstop, where the hell have you…Who is this?"

"Oh, this is-"

"Luke Owens, a friend of Darcy's parents," Loki stretched his hand out towards Jane, his pink lips curling into a smile.

"Oh. Hi. Jane Foster." She shook his hand, averting her eyes. "Darcy, you have no idea how worried I was. I thought something might've happened in the lab or at the bifrost site and you might've…" She trailed off when she realized how intently Loki was listening to her. "Sorry, do you mind? Work stuff."

"Oh, of course," he turned and stepped away, putting roughly ten feet between him and the women, but using magic to amplify his hearing.

"So what happened with S.H.I.E.L.D.? Did you take care of that portal thing?"

"It was almost gone by the time I got there. I managed to get some readings, but nothing substantial enough to really affect my research. Then I had to spend a few days being debriefed by Agent Coulson."

"You do realize that sounds awfully sexual, right?" Darcy smirked.

"Oh, god, not like that, jesus, he's…He's Agent Coulson."

"Well actually I think he's kinda sexy in an 'it's always the quiet ones' sort of way," Darcy shrugged. Loki frowned.

"That's gross, Darcy."

"Well anyway, you back for a while?"

"Yes. And I've brought some guests."

"Would those be S.H.I.E.L.D. guests?"

"They are, yes. I think you'll like them. Have you ever hung out with Tony Stark?"

"Are you serious? Iron Man is in New Mexico?" Darcy covered her mouth, finger-combed her hair, covered her mouth again and tugged on her shirt. "You've gotta be kidding me I freaking love that guy!"

"Yeah he's something else, that's for sure. He and everyone else is back at base, so let's get a move on." Jane froze in place. "Is your friend, uh…."

"Luke?"

"Yeah, that, is he….He's not staying with you, is he?"

"Yeah, he is."

"Oh. OH. So you two are uh…You're uh…," Jane attempted suggestive hand motions, but ended up looking like a seal on its back.

"Dear god you need help."

Loki had been dropped off at Darcy's house, seeing as how the S.H.I.E.L.D. base was a classified area and "normal people" weren't allowed. If only Jane knew…

But Darcy was glad to be away from Loki for a while. He had a habit of muddling up her thoughts. She knew he was bad, and she knew that he was just using her, and it was highly likely that she wasn't meant to survive whatever plot he needed her for, but sweet jesus who was that man with the forearm veins?

Jane had led Darcy into the main office area- a place the intern rarely found she needed to visit- and there were Tony Stark, his ginger assistant that she had seen in press conferences on TV, and a man dressed in dark jeans and a purple t-shirt. The stranger was sitting on a desk, leaning back on those magnificently toned arms, and watching as Stark and Coulson verbally sparred over whether or not it was necessary to fly a king-sized hot tub all the way from Dubai.

"You don't even have a place in Dubai," the ginger interjected.

"Yes, well, I should, Pepper, and if I did, it would have a hot tub the size of Monaco."

Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Hey everyone, back. Had to grab Darcy," Jane greeted as she strode up to the group.

"'Sup dudes?" Tony glanced her up and down, his eyes lingering a bit on her chest before flicking over to see Pepper's highly disapproving face. The stranger leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees.

"So what do you do?"

"'Scuse me?"

"Well he's Iron Man," the stranger nodded at Tony, "She keeps him in line," this time at Pepper.

"-Tries to would be more appropriate," Pepper interrupted.

"She's a genius and he's technically in charge," the stranger finished nodding at Jane and Coulson, respectively. "So what do you do?"

"I Tumbl, I play Angry Birds. Occasionally I do a really bad British accent."

"Right…"

Agent Coulson's phone rang, and after a brief, one-sided conversation of 'yes sir', 'right', and 'right away', he called Tony, Pepper and Jane into the main conference room. Darcy leaned against the desk across from the stranger.

"So why don't you get to join the super-secret club?"

"I'm already in the super-secret club. They just don't need me right now."

"Let me guess your power….You can turn into cheese?"

"Seriously?"

"What, I'm hungry?"

"And cheese is the first thing you go for? Not a burger or a pizza?"

"I like cheese."

"Well alright then."

"So can you really turn into cheese?"

"No. I don't think that's even a power."

"Well it should be."

"If you two are done," Coulson called from the landing above them, "It turns out we need Mister Barton after all."


End file.
